Only Our Ring Fingers Know
by aprille-hime
Summary: The ultimate expression of love is to wear matching rings...When Naruto accidentally switches rings with the most popular guy in Konoha High, they discover that their rings pair up! Will this revelation bring them closer? Sasunaru.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Naruto and Only the Ring Finger Knows. I'm just using them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic is based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri. You can even call this _Only the Ring Finger Knows_- SasuNaru version. To those who have read this wonderful manga and novel (to those who still haven't read, grab one now! You wouldn't regret reading this!), you will find the first few scenes and some dialogues (that's because I love their dialogues!) taken from the manga. But I assure you, I will make this totally my own and sasunaru-ish in the next chapters.By the way, the thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis.

Enjoy reading, minna-san.

_**Only Our Ring Finger Knows**_

**Chapter One –**

"UWAAAHH!"

The fifth floor of the all boy's dormitory shook violently.

"Come on, thick-eyebrows! You're better than that!"

Naruto flopped on one of the two beds. Grabbing a pillow near the headboard, he threw it playfully at Rock Lee. Shikamaru leaned toward Lee (wearing green over-alls) and caught the pillow before it slammed on his friend's excessively wet face.

"You're so troublesome Naruto…and _this is my pillow_" He threw it back to Naruto, who dodged it easily as if this routine was nothing new to them.

"Heh."

The door slammed open, revealing two newcomers, and _almost_ hitting Shikamaru's stretched leg on the floor.

"That was _fast_." Naruto commented, grinning.

The five boys had decided to meet after class at the lobby of Konoha's All Boys Dormitory to hang out. Kiba and Chouji volunteered to buy snacks and drinks while Naruto and Shikamaru were left to heave Lee's lifeless body from the floor, drag him up to the fifth floor (the elevator was broken down) and into Naruto and Shikamaru's room.

"Owe it to Chouji here. Man, you _surprised_ the cashier." Kiba patted Chouji's back good-naturedly and went over to sit on the other bed, all the while grinning mischievously.

Naruto tilted his head to the side, a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean?"

Stuffing more and more chips into his mouth, Chouji looked like he was not in the mood to talk, much less do anything else.

"So what did he do?" Naruto asked, this time looking at Kiba.

Kiba's face broke into another huge grin, his right thumb pointing to three large plastic bags of…

"What the hell! Are we going camping or _what!_" Naruto jumped from the bed and went over to the bags to rummage their contents.

"Chips…chips…chips again…chips…definitely chips!"

Naruto's face fell.

"They're _all_ chips!" and added in a somewhat distressed voice. "You could have gotten me some ramen, you know. _I'm not gonna let you buy the snacks again._"

Kiba laid down on his stomach and grinned _almost _apologetically.

"Sorry Naruto. But the good thing _is_…" He smiled victoriously.

"…Chouji payed for _everything_. And that's _something._" Kiba finished followed by a chuckle.

Naruto dropped the bag he was holding and went back to the bed.

"Yeah, 'coz most of the time, he just eats without paying a cent." Naruto said, meaning Chouji.

"UWAAAHHH!"

Lee's loud shrill filled the room.

"Damn it Lee! Do you want us to get thrown out?" Naruto demanded, matching Lee's voice with his own. He grabbed a pillow and threatened to throw it again at him.

"_Stop_ that Naruto. And _please_ use _your _own pillow." Shikamaru said pointedly.

Naruto grinned and instead, hugged the pillow to him.

"Okay, what in the world happened to _you_?"

"…don't tell me you get _dumped_, thick-eyebrows?" And as if the idea was hilarious, Naruto let out a long, hearty laugh.

And the room went quiet. Even Chouji's chewing died down.

"What? Did I say something…" Naruto paused and swallowed the rest of his words when a tear (a particularly large one) trickled down Lee's face.

"Don't tell me you…" Naruto began.

"Naruto, do us all a favor. _Shut up._" Shikamaru said and rolled his eyes at him. Naruto scowled back but pursed his lips anyway.

Lee sniffed loudly and cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something. Shikamaru nodded, urging him to go on.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Naruto moved his head closer to hear what Lee was saying, his body leaning on the edge of the bed.

"_WHY!"_ Lee repeated. At that, another tear slipped quietly down his face.

"Why am I so _unlucky_?"

The three guys (except Chouji, who seemed to be choking on his chips) exchanged bewildered glances.

And suddenly…

"Why in the world are there _perfect beings_ like _that_ UCHIHA SASUKE!"

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After nineteen minutes, twenty-three packs of chips (fifteen c/o Chouji) and twelve beers…

"So you mean to tell me thick-eyebrows…" Naruto started.

"…you were dumped _today_ by Sakura-chan because she's _madly_…" His face contorted in disgust at his own choice of word.

"…in love with Uchiha Sasuke?" Naruto finished incredulously.

"Naruto-kun, that was the _ninth_ time already. Do you mind not repeating it again?" Lee sniffed aloud and buried his nose into his green handkerchief.

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.

"Uhh, sorry thick-eyebrows. I just can't believe it. That's all." He said, apologizing. And as if remembering something, he turned to Chouji, who immediately stuffed his head into the bag as if he didn't want to be part of the conversation at all.

"…and Chouji here was dumped, also _today_ by none other than _Ino_ who's also pinning for Uchiha Sasuke?"

"That's enough, Naruto." Shikamaru said with a stressed voice, as if uttering those few words to Naruto required him a lot of energy. Probably sensing this, Naruto fell quiet.

"Well, Uchiha Sasuke is kind of a celebrity at Konoha High." Kiba broke the silence after a while.

"I heard he even gets scouted as a model every week." Shikamaru said uninterestedly.

"S—Seriously!" Naruto was surprised. He knew Uchiha Sasuke was popular because of his handsome looks, extremely high grades and prominent family name. But to hear that coming from _Kiba _and _Shikamaru_ gave him quite a shock.

"Hmp. But I heard he doesn't have any friends. A _lone wolf_ they call him", said Kiba.

Before Naruto could ask more about Uchiha Sasuke, Lee suddenly croaked out.

"After I bought these _matching rings_…"

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Lee's now outstretched hand. Two gold rings with a white stone at the center were gleaming proudly on his palm.

"_The Rings?_" Naruto's eyes widened.

Lee nodded.

Kiba looked at the rings interestedly.

"_The Rings…_They're all the rage in our school…"

"…paired rings on the _right ring finger_ means a sign of friendship. Ring on the _right middle finger_ means single and currently seeking…" Kiba paused, eyed the rings meaningfully and continued.

"…and the _greatest status of all_…To wear matching rings on the **_left ring finger_ **signifies a _couple!_"

Knowing this already, Naruto ignored Kiba's _dramatic_ explanation of _The Rings_ and turned to Chouji, who seemed to be choking on his chips again.

"Don't tell me—"

But Shikamaru interrupted just in time.

"Shut up Naruto. Stop saying the _obvious_."

Naruto stuck out his tongue at him and faced Lee again.

"But aren't you a little exaggerating thick-eyebrows? I mean…buying paired rings already?"

Lee's face fell and this time, Naruto decided to _really_ shut his mouth.

Kiba sniggered and tossed a pack at Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto. I just remembered. You too have a crush on Haruno, right?"

Naruto caught Lee's eyes and saw in there a dangerous gleam he had never seen.

**Eh? **

Naruto sighed.

"That was a long time ago, dog-boy. I have more important things to think about now." He said simply.

"So why are you still wearing _that_?" Kiba pointed accusingly at Naruto's ring on his right middle finger.

Naruto touched his ring affectionately.

"I told you. This ring is _not_ a match with Sakura-chan. Not with anyone…"

"…unlike _you guys_, I wear this ring not because I'm seeking for someone but because this ring means a lot to me…"

"And you still refused to tell us about it." Shikamaru said.

"Heh. That is…" Naruto grinned at him.

"…a secret between me and my ring."

Shimakaru rolled his eyes.

Then suddenly, Chouji stood up, surprising all four boys. With the empty bag of potato chips crumpled mercilessly into a ball in his right hand, he bellowed.

"SCREW YOU UCHIHA SASUKE!"

The whole floor of the all boy's dormitory shook again for the second time that evening.

Naruto shook his head, his ears stinging painfully at the sudden outburst…

…**I've only seen Uchiha Sasuke from afar. Although he looks like the loner type like Kiba said, he doesn't seem like a bad person. Not at all…**

He looked at Lee and Chouji who seemed to be so into their drinking binge it's kinda scary.

**...I pity Lee and Chouji. But I kinda feel for Uchiha Sasuke too. Disliked just for existing…**

And with a heavy heart, he joined his friends and grabbed a beer, all thoughts of Uchiha Sasuke forgotten.

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The next morning in class…

**Damn it! Why am I the only one with a headache? It isn't fair…**

Naruto placed one hand on his desk to steady himself as he stood up. It was the ten-minute break after their first class of the day and he was already feeling like _hell_. Shikamaru, who was sitting next to him, eyed him concernedly.

"Oi, Naruto. Not feeling well?"

"Nahh, just a headache. I'll go wash my face." He said, standing, and carefully made his way to the door and out of the room.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking off his ring and placing it on the counter, Naruto looked at his reflection on the mirror.

"Damn, why me?" He said to himself.

It irritated him to see Kiba and Chouji and even Shikamaru perfectly fine while he, who drank only three beers the whole night, was suffering with a headache.

Naruto turned the faucet on and closed his eyes, feeling dizzy again. Placing both hands under the faucet's mouth, he splashed water all over his face. Feeling a little better, he did this a couple more times. It might be because of his dizziness that his hands (full of water) bumped somewhere on the sink. At this, water splattered all over the counter and on the floor. That was when he noticed a presence beside him. Hearing an annoyed grunt, he opened his eyes and started to apologize.

"Sorry man. I…"

His eyes met dark, cold ones.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Naruto blurted out.

**Oooppps!**

Clamping both hands over his mouth, his eyes widened at the slip.

"Sorry! I---"

"Hn…" Uchiha Sasuke grunted irritably.

"…are you really that _stupid?_"

His eyes widened even more.

**Stu…stupid?**

"Behaving like a child and splashing water carelessly…"He said, scowling.

"You ruined my uniform", he added, glaring at him indifferently.

"Wh—What!" Naruto glared back, offended.

"I already said sorry! What the hell is your _problem_!"

Uchiha Sasuke stared at him with an unreadable expression.

"Well, your sorry's not going to _dry _my uniform." He replied coldly, straightening his damp white polo and tie.

**What the hell?**

Naruto was speechless.

"Next time…" Uchiha Sasuke said slowly.

**Is this really _that _Uchiha Sasuke?**

"…wash you face _at home_." And with another cold glare, he picked something from the counter and sauntered toward the door.

Nartuo clenched his fists.

"WAIT!" He yelled.

He was furious. He couldn't believe he was being talked down so much for a small mistake he did.

**And it wasn't_ that_ soaked.**

To his surprise, Uchiha Sasuke stopped and turned around.

**What now?**

"I…I…"

**I can't lose to this asshole!**

"Your attitude!"

"…Isn't your attitude _worse_ than my careless splashing?"

The most popular guy in his school stared back at him with that same cold eyes and haughty attitude.

"And I…I have a name too! UZUMAKI NARUTO! Remember that _asshole_!"

At his last word, Uchiha Sasuke's eyes widened a bit.

**Huh? Didn't expect that?**

He resisted the urge to laugh at his face. But to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke's lips suddenly quirked up in a smirk.

"Well…This is for _Uzumaki Naruto_…"

**Seriously?**

"…_Don't_ order me around." And before Naruto could retort back, he disappeared through the door.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Snatching his ring from the counter, he glared at the spot Uchiha Sasuke was a moment ago.

"They're all _fooled_ by his looks!"

"That BASTARD!"

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"RINNNGGGG!"

Naruto remained slumped on his desk.

"Still sick?" He heard Kiba asked.

Slowly lifting his head, he looked at Kiba and Shikamaru, a frown marring his usually cheerful face.

"I don't think I _should_ eat." He said, his frown deepening.

"WHAT!" Kiba cried out, unbelieving.

Shikamaru on the other hand looked like he heard him wrong.

Naruto sighed aloud and buried his face in his arms again.

"I said I'm not eating lunch today…" and to explain himself, he added,

"…I think I'm getting fat."

At that, Shikamaru and Kiba looked like they were seriously going to laugh. Naruto snuck a peak on his friends and…scowled.

"I know _now_. Don't say it." He scratched the back of his head and grinned embarrassedly.

"Good thing the ring has noticed."

Since Kiba was not usually quiet, Naruto began to eye him a bit worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

"…you look like you're going to throw a fit."

"I might seriously do that…" Kiba mumbled to himself.

Being the genius one it struck Shikamaru that his friend was dead serious and that this was not some prank of his. Keeping a straight face, he swallowed whatever he initially intended to say and instead asked Naruto calmly.

"Who gave you that idea?"

Kiba couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing, earning him a glare from Naruto.

"But _The Ring!_ It won't fit!"

Kiba stopped laughing and jerked his head toward Naruto's open palm. A gold ring with a silver center line was lying peacefully there.

"What happened? It looks perfectly fine to me."

"I always wear it on my right middle finger…"

"…but now, it _won't_ fit."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto confusedly.

"But aren't you wearing that ring this morning?"

"Yeah..."

"But you _can't_ get fat in less than a day!" Kiba blurted out.

"I know! But a ring can't shrink either!" Naruto looked sadly at his ring as if he was pleading it to answer him.

"It's strange though…" He mumbled to himself, scratching the back of his head unconsciously.

"…it fits my left ring finger just fine."

Suddenly, the trio became aware of the commotion inside the classroom. Excited giggles and gasps filled the entire room.

"_No way!"_

"_For real!"_

"What's happening?" Kiba asked the girls nearest to them.

"UCHIHA SASUKE IS HERE!"

Suddenly, Naruto felt extremely nervous. He could now feel the blood pumping through his veins, rather faster.

**He's here… why?**

The noise continued to get louder. Even the guys were not able to hide their interest at his sudden appearance. Naruto felt himself shrink lower…and lower into his seat.

"He—He's coming this way!" Kiba suddenly said.

That was the only warning Naruto received before a tall figure loomed over him.

**What does he want from me?**

"You."

Feeling irritated at being addressed so rudely again, Naruto forgot his initial nervousness and stood up to face him, slamming one hand on his desk brusquely.

"You know, you really piss—"

"Give me back my ring." Uchiha Sasuke interrupted, getting straight to the point.

"R—Ring?" Naruto stared back at him.

His confusion made him forget his anger.

"What are you talking about?"

Uchiha Sasuke lifted his arm and opened his palm before him.

"We switched rings." He said coldly.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"We switched rings?"

He peered at Sasuke's open palm and saw without mistake _his_ precious ring – a gold ring with a silver center line.

Naruto removed his eyes from the ring and looked at the most popular being in Konoha High. For reason he didn't know, he felt his face heat up.

And then it hit him.

"We have the same ring?"

**Author's Notes:**

Thank you for reading minna-san. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Just don't flame me, ok?

'Till the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Naruto and Only the Ring Finger Knows. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic has been based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri. You can even call this _Only the Ring Finger Knows_- SasuNaru version. To those who have read this wonderful manga and novel (to those who still haven't read, grab it now!

**Clarifications!**

Just to clear things up, there were some who have given reviews telling me that the idea was so original, and some asking me if the ring idea was popular _somewhere_. As I said in the first chapter (at the beginning), the _ring_ idea was _not_ mine. It was Satoru Kannagi's. I based this story in her novel and manga, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_. I'm sorry if I misled you in any way. However, this story will not follow the entire plot of the manga (as some had asked, sorry…). Starting from this chapter, it will be different. I hope you will still enjoy reading this.

**THANK YOU MINNA-SAN FOR ALL THE PRAISES AND ENCOURAGEMENT!**

**Etra Notes!**

Oh, the thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis. Enjoy reading, minna-san.

* * *

_**Only Our Ring Finger Knows**_

**- Chapter Two -**

"We have the same ring?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Surprised gasps trailed after his query. Looking around, Naruto suddenly became aware of the way his classmates were staring at him, like he had just been dropped from a saucer-looking object from outer space and had sprouted two ugly sticks on his head. At the corner of his eyes, he almost fell over when he saw Kiba's mouth dropped open, a black flying creature hovering dangerously, a few inches from the breach.

**Dammit!**

Naruto focused his attention back to _Uchiha Sasuke_, resident heartthrob and a jerk, to his opinion.

"I'm not pleased with it." Sasuke said coldly, followed by enthusiastic nods from the female population of their audience.

"SAME HERE!" Naruto blurted out, eyes narrowing into tiny slits.

"Nice to here the feeling is mutual…" Sasuke folded his arms across his chest, lips curving downward in a grimace.

Naruto gritted his teeth.

**His attitude…is really the WORST!**

"…now, give me back my ring", Sasuke demanded, thrusting his open palm (where the other ring laid) toward Naruto.

Clenching his other fist, Naruto brought one shaking hand into his pocket for _the other ring_, which he pocketed sometime before the Uchiha came.

**Bastard!**

The reality that he was sharing the same ring with someone as conceited as _Uchiha Sasuke_ really got in his nerves. Life could be really unfair.

"There!" He said, shoving the ring onto Sasuke's open palm. Scowling deeply, he snatched the other ring, _his_ ring and slipped it onto his right middle finger. Feeling the familiar cool metal against his skin, Naruto indescribably felt less infuriated. He had _almost_ forgiven the Uchiha for his rudeness. He touched his ring affectionately and mentally scolded himself for losing his most precious possession.

"Your ring…" Sasuke started to say, his gaze capturing Naruto's as the latter looked up from his ring.

Naruto's frown easily melted, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"What?" He asked, a bit curious as to what Sasuke was about to say. He also noted the sudden change in Sasuke's voice from arctic cold to soft.

However, to Naruto's immediate bewilderment, Sasuke's eyes suddenly became hard again. Naruto stared wide-eye at him.

**What was that? **

Sasuke turned his back on Naruto.

"Your ring…" Sasuke repeated clearly. Naruto's ears perked up in interest despite his confusion while the rest of his classmates hung on to Sasuke's every word.

"…it doesn't suit you, _dobe._" He finished mockingly, casting a sideway glance at him.

**Do…dobe? What's up with this guy!**

Naruto stared at his retreating back, nose and ears emitting fumes. Around him, the students were laughing hard, some even clasping their stomachs in mirth.

"Hold on!" He yelled angrily at Sasuke. His irritation was fueled more when Sasuke did not even stop on his track. He stopped himself from flying his fists onto his pale face.

"Don't mock me, _stupid_! You're the one who took the _wrong_ ring!" Naruto shouted, incensed.

"Whatever, _dobe_." Sasuke replied, halting. Tilting his head to the side, he gave Naruto a brief calculating look.

Naruto was now glowering at him, fists trembling in rage. Instantly, his arms were held back by Shikamaru.

"Let go! I'm gonna punch his arrogant face!" Naruto yelled, fighting Shikamaru's hold of him.

"Don't be troublesome Naruto." Shikamaru said wearily, but maintained his grip on Naruto's arms.

"I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson!"

But before Naruto was able to free himself away from Shikamaru, Sasuke had already walked out of the room with a smirk on his face, leaving Naruto fuming for the second time that day.

"That JERK!" Naruto cried angrily, amidst the giggles and taunts that followed Sasuke's exit.

* * *

Naruto's mood did not improve later that day. After class had ended, he was accosted by the two most vicious females in the campus…blocking his way to the dormitory and…a few aspirin.

"Is it _true_ Naruto?" Haruno Sakura prompted him, just outside of the gates of Konoha High School, her fists clenching and unclenching impatiently at her sides.

"_Impossible_. It's _obvious_, big-forehead…" Yamanaga Ino said, hands on hips and looking more smug than the usual.

"…a _trick_ to lure us _away_ from Sasuke-kun."

Naruto eyed both of them wearily.

"Are you _Naruto_?" Sakura hissed dangerously at her. Ino shrugged noncommittally.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto smiled uncertainly at Sakura.

"Do you still have something to say, Sakura-chan?" He asked graciously, hoping to be let off.

"_Naruto_…I just want to know where you bought _Sasuke_'s ring" Sakura said, looking at him expectantly, her cheeks tingeing pink at the mention of _Sasuke's ring_.

A vein throbbed in Naruto's forehead.

"It's not _his_ ring. I bet I had _my_ ring _first_ 'cause I had it for _years_. And it was given to me, so there's no way I'll know where it was bought." He said all in one go, his patience thinning away like an overused rope.

Saskura was crestfallen. Even Ino looked at him in surprise.

"So you do have the _same_ ring as him!" Sakura blurted out.

"Yes, but like I said, Sakura-chan…I don't know where it was bought." He said, growing weary.

**Why is it such a big deal to have the same ring as him?**

"But you can ask the person who gave that to you!" She argued, refusing to give up.

Naruto shook his head.

"It's impossible, Sakura-chan. The person who gave this to me…I don't know where that person is now." Naruto explained patiently, and as he said those words, the usual radiance in his azure eyes was put off.

Sakura slumped on the ground dejectedly. Sniffing loudly and rather _exaggeratedly_, she looked up at Naruto, her green eyes pleading and _accusing_. Naruto cringed inwardly, feeling helpless.

"Sakura-chan, I'm really sorry…" He started to say, smiling agonizingly, when Ino interrupted.

"That's okay." She said casually. She then picked Sakura by the collar of her uniform, ignoring her squeals of _Let go! Ino pig!_ and started to drag her away from Naruto.

"Wait! I'm not finished! NARUTO! Tell me where you bought it!" Sakura screeched as she clawed her way out of Ino's grasp.

Ino just tightened her grip of Sakura's collar while Naruto sweat dropped.

"It's not a big deal big-forehead, Naruto is a _guy_." She told Sakura while continuing to yank her mercilessly.

"Like I don't know that! _Let go Ino-pig!_ I want to know where he bought Sasuke's ring!" She shouted angrily, earning them scandalized looks from passersby.

**Really?**

Walking opposite of where the two girls headed off, Naruto clasped his aching head, swearing out loud.

"What's so special about that jerk anyway!"

He glanced at his ring and instantly felt less annoyed…No matter how angry he would get, his ring had never failed to cheer him up.

Everyone had started to refer to his ring as _Sasuke's ring_ and worse…_a copycat_ after their confrontation in the classroom. It had really annoyed him but no matter how he hard he tried to convince them, they still refused to believe him that he, Naruto Uzumaki, did not for the _love of ramen_ copy Sasuke's ring.

**Damn it! The popular are lucky…**

And Naruto had _enough_ of the girls asking him about the ring. He shook his head violently, wondering how the Uchiha gained the favors of almost every girl in school in spite of his unpleasant attitude.

Apparently, the girls who had confronted Naruto admitted that they didn't know Uchiha was wearing a ring.

**I bet he started wearing his ring to look cool… **

"Hmph!" Naruto kicked a pebble on the ground.

"Your ring…it doesn't suit you, dobe."

Sasuke's words earlier rung stubbornly in his head.

…**just because it looks good on him!**

Furious, he did not even notice that he had already reached the gates of Konoha's All Boys Dormitory. Gazing at its façade, he wondered if the Uchiha also lived there. Riled once more, he shook his head immediately to dismiss his thoughts. Naruto after all couldn't care less about Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

Inside Room 519…

"Oi, Naruto. What are you planning to do tomorrow?" Shikamaru asked Naruto after he stepped out of the bathroom.

He was about to ask Shikamaru what he was talking about when it hit him. He felt his stomach flip excitedly at the thought of spending another day with the _children_...

Every Saturday, the students of the Konoha High School had their Community Service for three hours. For that year, the students were assigned to the less fortunate people of the rural area just outside of the Konohagure City for them to become aware of the kind of life they lead. The students were divided into groups of three and each group was assigned to a family living there.

"I plan on making tomorrow a _fun_ _day_." Naruto answered brightly, drying his blonde hair with a towel.

"That is troublesome." Shikamaru commented.

"You're just _lazy_…How about your group?" He asked, pausing on his task to glance at his friend.

Shikamaru lifted himself from his bed and went over languidly toward the desk they shared. It was placed between their beds with a lamp, a few books and a cassette player He pulled the single chair there and made himself comfortable.

"I'll leave my group mates to decide on that." He answered after a while.

"Che. I can't do that. Kiba and my other group mate are ditching me tomorrow." Naruto said, tossing the wet towel into the basket of used clothes.

"Not many people plan to go since the _finals_ are coming up." Shikamaru said. He started to flip the pages of a notebook and pulled out a calculator from the drawer.

"So that's why you are forcing your lazy ass out of bed." Naruto said pointedly, walking over to his own bed.

"I'm lazy. But I'm not _stupid_ Naruto." Shikamaru cast him a weary glance before focusing his attention back to his notebook.

"You know what, you're even smarter than that Uchiha-bastard…"

"…if only you're not _always _lazy."

Shikamaru glanced at him briefly, an eyebrow raised.

"But Naruto…"

"…I still can't believe you two have the same ring…" Shikamaru said, looking somewhat in between interested and apathetic.

Naruto dropped himself loudly on the bed.

"Give me a break will you! It doesn't mean anything!" He yelled, feeling frustrated.

"I'm just telling you it's strange…you don't have to vent your anger on me." Shikamaru replied tiredly.

Naruto chose not to reply. Making a face, he pulled his pillow toward him and delivered his strongest punch on it, imagining it was Sasuke's ghostly-pale face instead.

* * *

Saturday, 8:00 AM

Naruto stepped out of the school bus, tugging his sweater close around his body. The weather had picked up sometime during the trip and fortunately, he had brought his jacket but only at the thought of his shirt getting dirty and not because he had actually predicted the sudden change in weather.

He waved enthusiastically as the bus started off, Iruka-sensei peering at him worriedly from the window. After all, it was only him left in his group to complete the three hours of community service.

"It's freaking cold…" Naruto whispered to himself.

He made his way to a narrow pathway that was littered with small colored pebbles, twigs, leaves and a few candy wrappers. At the end of straight path was a small house that stood out in its light orange color and a few mismatched shades. Around the house was a mini forest that he had not yet explored. But even though the house looked lonely with its shabby state and neglected front lawn, Naruto knew better.

"Naruto-niichan!" A blurry of pink suddenly jumped at Naruto, knocking the breath out of his lungs.

"Ooofff!" The two stumbled on the ground, legs and arms entangled messily.

"How are you Satomi-chan?" Naruto asked grinning, after he had recovered from the impact.

The little girl made no attempt to move away from his lap. She gazed excitedly at Naruto, her lavender eyes shining brightly and her short arms tightening around his waist.

"Mommy gave me this 'cause I got an award in school." She said proudly, her small wrist waving in front of his face, showing him a silver bracelet adorned with various shaped pendants.

Naruto ruffled her hair tenderly and gave her his trademark grin.

"That's great Satomi-chan!" He beamed at her.

* * *

On the other side of the town, three hundred sixty-seven meters and nineteen centimeters away from where Naruto was…

…Haruno Sakura was pissed off.

She had been in cloud-nine when their professor announced at the start of the term that she was in the same group with Sasuke Uchiha. She started to plot ways on how they could be alone in the three short hours that they will be together. But all her dreams had been shattered when the last person of their group was called….

She thought it was both the luckiest and unluckiest day of her life.

"Sakura-san, are you cold?" Lee approached her and smiled, that dazzling white perfect teeth flashing _painfully_ at her.

Sakura's lips twitched in what she hoped were a _convincing_ grateful smile.

"I'm fine Lee-kun. Thanks though." She then drew back as fast as she could away from him and his perfect set of teeth in search of the third member of their group.

**Where are you Sasuke-kun? Don't me leave me alone! **

Many girls would have given _anything_ to be in her place. They said she was lucky** …**but for Sakura it was _fate_ that brought her and Sasuke together in the same group….

Because of her outstanding grades, Sakura was in the same class as Sasuke. Every end of the school year, a selection exam was taken by the students to evaluate their performance. Those who had really outstanding marks made it to the _honors section_ for the next semester. Students who were in the honors section – the top section, received better services and professors and respected by everyone in the school. They were consisted of the high ranking students, Student Council Officers and presidents of School Organizations.

…**there you are!**

Sakura's face broke into a huge smile. Indeed, Sasuke was there, leaning on a tree, eyes closed and hands tucked inside the pockets of his black loose pants. At first she thought he was sleeping, but on closer inspection, Sakura noticed that Sasuke's back was stiff and his brows were furrowed together. He looked tense despite his calm and cool exterior.

Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, Sakura looked down at herself and straightened the creases of her dress. She tucked the fallen strands of her hair behind her ears and puffed her cheeks to color. Taking a deep, long breath, she started to walk toward Sasuke.

**Yosh! This is my chance!**

She was already close to her goal, when suddenly; Sasuke's eyes flew open and were on her. She halted, her heart thumping wildly inside her chest.

**He's looking at me! Sasuke-kun's actually looking at me!**

"Uh, Sa…Sasuke-kun…" She stammered.

Sasuke lifted himself off the tree and turned to face her. And to Sakura's utter surprise, his eyes widened considerably and his face paled even more.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked, confused.

Sasuke suddenly ran past Sakura, surprising her…She blinked at the empty spot. He was gone. She whirled around and stared numbly at Sasuke's rapidly disappearing back.

"Sasuke-kun!" She yelled at Sasuke but he did not stop.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"………………."

"………………."

"…that's what happened Iruka-sensei." Sakura finished dramatically.

Sakura and Iruka were outside of St. Catherine Chapel where everybody was supposed to meet. Two Konoha School buses remained immobile on the side of the road.

"Well…" Iruka glanced at his watch and looked worriedly back at Sakura.

"…it's already past noon and the other sections have already left. We can't detain the rest of the students here…" He said, looking troubled as well.

"…and Naruto's not here either."

Sakura's head snapped up.

"Naruto _too_!"

Iruka-sensei nodded slowly.

Sakura's eyes widened. Sasuke's behavior earlier filled up his mind and various thoughts of the reason why he ran off floated inside her head.

**Could it be?**

Sakura shook her head, feeling really stupid.

**No way! **

She sniggered.

"Naruto is just probably lost. He's _stupid_ after all." She said and laughed out loud at the thought. But inside, she could not shake off the feeling that Naruto was involved in Sasuke's disappearance.

"What an unpleasant thing to say Haruno..." A voice spoke behind her.

Sakura turned around; an eyebrow lifted. She came face-to-face with Hyuuga Neji, her classmate and the Student Council Executive Vice-President or EVP for short. She folded her arms against her chest and matched his cold stare with her own.

Iruka seemed not to notice the negative vibes that suddenly engulfed them.

Neji's face remained passive. Ignoring Sakura, he shifted his attention to his sensei.

"Sensei…"

"Yes?" Iruka-sensei asked, somewhat distracted.

"Sensei, my classmates are already complaining. It's best that we don't make them wait any longer." Neji said in a tone that was authoritative yet polite.

Iruka fell quiet, like he was weighing their options. After a while, he spoke wearily.

"We don't have much choice." He then faced Sakura and Neji.

"I'll need your help, you two. Sakura, I'll ask you to go back to your family's house. Wait for Sasuke to come back. Neji, come with me. I will take you to Naruto's family and you'll wait for him there as well." He looked apprehensively at the two buses, both waiting for orders.

"I need to stay here so we'll just communicate through our phones. If in thirty minutes they still did not come back, the other students will have to go ahead." Iruka said. He then motioned them to follow him as he started to walk in the direction of the buses.

"Iruka-sensei?" Sakura called at her sensei.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Kakashi-sensei? He's not around, is he?" Sakura asked, trying to keep up with the men's pace.

Iruka flinched, halting.

"What am I, his _keeper_! I don't care about that annoying, perverted jerk!" Kicking an empty, rusting can on the sidewalk, he started to walk again.

Sakura was in shock while Neji's one eyebrow was raised in mild interest.

"I was only asking a _simple_ question…and why is he blushing?" Sakura said out loud, a bit displeased. Realizing she wouldn't get a response from the uncaring EVP, she tried to forget what happened and filled her thoughts with Sasuke. Running across the street behind Neji, she felt the first drop of rain hit her bare forehead.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Naruto swore under his breath. He had barely avoided hitting himself against a particularly large rock when he slipped. The rain had made it hard for him to run in a fast pace, causing him to slip a couple of times already. He was lucky; all he had received were a few cuts and bumps. He brushed off the wet strands of hair that made their way on his face.

Naruto thought that if he didn't find Satomi soon, she'd be soaked to the core. It was his idea to play hide and seek before they had lunch. But everyone was already back in the house except Satomi. Naruto thought she was intending to impress him by using a really difficult place as her hide-out.

**She must be hungry and wet now…**

Catching his breath, he halted and leaned on the nearby tree. His hair was a complete mess and he was beginning to feel the wetness seeping into his shoes and socks. Naruto glanced briefly at his watch, cursing aloud when he saw the time. He was late by ten minutes.

He sagged on a large protruding root, still catching his breath.

**Damn it!**

Naruto jolted at the sound of rustling leaves. Turning around, his eyes widened the size of a saucer when a figure stepped out behind the bushes.

"UCHIHA SASUKE!" He yelled pointing at the soaking body.

…**him?**

Uchiha Sasuke glanced at him, his pale eyes boring on him.

"Dobe." He said quietly, walking forward slowly.

A vein pulsed inside Naruto's forehead. Fighting his budding irritation, he glanced at Sasuke thoroughly.

"You're wet." He remarked, hugging his jacket closer around his body. The air was getting chilly.

"You noticed." Sasuke replied sarcastically, mouth curving downward in a frown. He stopped walking and sat down on a large root, imitating Naruto.

Naruto glared at him.

"It wouldn't hurt you to be nice once in a while, teme." He retorted back, eyes narrowing slightly. He was seriously fighting the urge to slam something on Sasuke's face.

Sasuke's bangs fell over, concealing his face. He brushed them away, his pale fingers standing out in the dim-lit forest. Naruto noticed he was shaking.

**The bastard looks kind of pitiful right now...**

Naruto then decided that he would be a bit pleasant toward him for the moment.

"Oi, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto called at his unexpected companion, who was looking at the ground as if there was something interesting down there.

Sasuke's head rose up, his eyes narrowing at the suffix used. Naruto decided to ignore this.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked casually, trying to make the atmosphere somewhat comfortable.

"None of your business." Sasuke said abruptly, looking away.

**Grrhhh…!**

"Fine! If you want to be an _asshole_! I don't care anymore." Naruto stuck his tongue out and glowered at him.

Sasuke looked like he had swallowed something bitter. Lowering his head, he didn't bother brushing off the loose strands that fell.

"I…" He started to say.

Naruto looked at him in surprise.

"…I ran after…someone." He said in a quiet voice, not meeting Naruto's eyes.

"Wh…what! I didn't think you'd really tell me…" Naruto's eyes were wide. He then started to grin gawkily. Seeing the death glare Sasuke was sending him, he waved both his hands in front of his face as if to tell Sasuke not to mind what he said.

:"Don't get mad Sasuke-teme. I'm glad you did." He grinned shamelessly, his long canines protruding slightly from his mouth.

…**guess he's not an asshole all the time.**

Gazing at the sky, he was startled to see that it was starting to lighten up.

"And it's not raining anymore." Naruto said, standing up, hands on the both sides of his waist. And it hit him.

"DAMN! I forgot Satomi!" He suddenly yelled.

Sasuke watched as Naruto made his way over him quickly, removing his red jacket in the process. One of his eyebrows instinctively rose up when Naruto stopped a foot away from him, looking more stupid in Sasuke's opinion.

"What?" He asked frostily, pulling his legs closer to his body.

To his surprise, Naruto tossed his jacket to him. The red garment landed on his lap.

"What the hell is this dobe!" Sasuke asked, his eyes wide in surprise and confusion. He didn't know what the other guy was thinking. _Not at all_.

"That _is_ a jacket." Naruto replied frowning, as if Sasuke was purposely being stupid.

Sasuke stood up brusquely making the jacket topple on the wet ground.

"I know that _idiot_. Why are you giving me _that_?" He asked with a glare, pointing at the now messy jacket.

"Cause you're wet, what _else_?" Naruto gave him a disapproving look. He picked the jacket from the ground while mumbling _annoying bastard_ and thrust it into Sasuke's hands.

He took Sasuke's temporary shock as an opportunity to run off. He waved cheerfully without looking back.

"See you teme!"

Sasuke stared at the wet jacket and back at Naruto.

"That idiot..." He muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

* * *

"EEEEKKKKKK!" Naruto cried out.

Neji had his arms folded across his chest, his pale eyes regarding Naruto impatiently. They were all standing in front of the house when Naruto showed up, his orange shirt drenched and his blonde hair littered with broken twigs and leaves. The rest of his body was in that state as well.

"_You were tricked_." Neji said to Naruto, emphasizing every word ruthlessly.

Naruto looked startled to see him. But when his mind had processed Neji's words, he looked at him in annoyance. He immediately shifted his eyes to the children who were all laughing uncontrollably since he had arrived, sweating and wet.

"Satomi-chan!" Naruto whined, like he was demanding for some explanation.

The children fought hard to stop their laughing fits some wiping the tears off their faces.

"Sorry Naruto-niichan. We were just teasing you and well…" Satomi said when her laughter subsided. She smiled apologetically at Naruto, hands clasped together against her chest, like she was praying

"…we didn't know you'd take it seriously."

Naruto's brow twitched dangerously. The children might have noticed this for a guy who looked a little older than Satomi stepped forward and bowed his head in front of Naruto. The others followed his lead.

Something glimmered in Naruto's eyes.

"Naruto-niichan, we're sorry. We tried to stop you, _honestly_…when we saw you looking so serious. But you ran _too_ fast, we couldn't catch up. Sorry."

Naruto sighed in defeat. He ruffled the boy's hair affectionately and did the same to the others. When they lifted their heads, Naruto was already grinning, his cheeks coloring a faint pink

"Heh. No problem." He looked at all the children, the smile not leaving his face.

"…you learned fast, I see." He said proudly. The kids nodded their heads simultaneously.

Neji started to walk to away.

"Let's go. They're waiting." Neji said, leaving Naruto.

Naruto whispered something to the children that Neji failed to hear. They then burst out laughing once again. This made Neji's pale eyes darken a little and the nerves in his forehead twitch, but he didn't stop walking. He heard Naruto said his goodbye to the children and then was beside him right away.

"Hey EDB, is Iruka-sensei mad at me or something?" Naruto asked suddenly, rubbing his hands together to gather up heat.

"It's EVP. Executive Vice President. Not EDB." Neji said to him frigidly, irritated that Naruto got his title wrong.

"Whatever. So is he mad? What did he say?" Naruto pressed.

Neji glared at him though he was not sure if it reached the blonde.

"He said something about not treating you ramen for a month." Neji provided, unconcerned..

"No kidding!" Naruto's head bobbed in front of his face, his blue eyes searching something in Neji's eyes.

"I'm not kidding." Neji replied hastily, feeling something flutter in him, which he didn't understand.

Naruto moved away, feeling busted.

"Damn it! Those kids will pay!" He yelled, shaking his fists to emphasize his point.

"It's _your _fault. Those kids know that forest _well_?"

Naruto stared at Neji, as if thinking over what he said.

"I didn't think about that." He said after a while.

Neji could now see the cross that stood at the top of St. Catherine Chapel.

"But it doesn't matter now. Satomi-chan and the children are safe. That's all that matters." Naruto said to no one in particular. He ginned, feeling pleased of himself.

Neji felt himself watching the grinning blonde idiot. He wondered aimlessly how someone could care about strangers the way Naruto did. He withdrew his gaze shortly after, telling himself that it was not his business whatever Naruto did.

"I'm hungry…" Naruto complained loudly, clasping his empty stomach. He was hungry and he was cold. Though the rain had stopped and the sun was already up, the chilliness in the air lingered.

**I wonder what happened to that bastard…**

They soon reached the front of the chapel. Naruto peeked from behind Neji for any sign of Iruka-sensei. Seeing none, he heaved a sigh of relief and stepped out of Neji's back, grinning broadly at his luck. He then saw a familiar pink-haired girl standing outside of bus 3-1. His bus, 3-5 was beside it.

"Sakura-chan!" He called out to her in a sing-song voice. Sakura glanced at him briefly without any response before looking away. Naruto's face fell while Neji looked nsympathetic. As they approached the buses, Naruto saw her talking animatedly with someone.

**Speaking of the devil…**

Sasuke spared him a quick look. Naruto waited for acknowledgement of any sort since they had talked a _bit_ in the forest…but there was none. Sasuke just averted his gaze away from him as if Naruto was not there at all.

Naruto scowled.

**What the...!**

Neji told him to wait before going back to his bus. Naruto nodded absentmindedly. He returned his attention to the two and noticed that Sasuke was not wearing the jacket he lent him. And it was not with him either. His frown deepened.

**If you'll not wear it…then give it back asshole! **

Sakura continued to talk while Sasuke made it evident that he was not listening. Finally giving in to his urge to pound Sasuke on the ground with his fists, he started to approach them. But before he had the chance to do so, he was pulled back by the collar rather rudely.

"What the––" He gasped.

"NARUTO!" A voice spoke firmly behind him. Naruto turned around and went rigid.

"––IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto uttered in panic.

Iruka did not yet speak. Gritting his teeth, he released Naruto's collar and instead grabbed an ear and pinched the lobe hard.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Naruto cringed loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. So he was dragged away by Iruka-sensei.

"Where.Have.You.Been!" Iruka yelled at him when they were far enough. Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly at his sensei.

"Hehe? I was with the kids! Ow! Ow!" Iruka pinched his ear harder.

"Do you know what time is it _now_?" His face loomed menacingly over Naruto's

Naruto looked away, face crumpled in pain.

**Iruka-sensei sure is scary…**

Naruto caught Sasuke looking at them. He blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing it right. Sasuke had not removed his eyes from him and Iruka-sensei.

**...eh?**

"Ow! I know! Ow!" Naruto yelled, bringing his attention back to his sensei. He found it hard to concentrate while trying to escape Iruka's perilous fingers.

**Dammit! I need a plan!**

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto suddenly shouted, pointing behind Iruka. At that, his sensei suddenly released his ear and became stiff. Naruto took this chance to pull away and ran off, laughing madly.

"NARUTO!" Iruka yelled at Naruto when he realized he had been deceived.

Naruto grinned broadly, running toward his section's bus. He was shaking in laughter at his brilliant idea. When he passed Sasuke and Sakura, Sakura stopped talking and eyed him disapprovingly. Naruto just grinned at her.

"NARUTO!" Iruka yelled, determined to catch him.

When he accidentally glanced back at Sasuke, Naruto saw his lips curved in a smirk.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for reading minna-san.** Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Just don't flame me too much, ok?

'Till the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Naruto and Only the Ring Finger Knows. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic was based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri. This is _Only the Ring Finger Knows_- SasuNaru version.

**WOW! THANK YOU MINNA-SAN FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND ENCOURAGEMENT! AND SORRY FOR THE VERY VERY LATE UPDATE. SCHOOL IS KILLING ME. I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE MAKING EXCUSES. ANYHOW, HERE IS CHAPTER THREE. I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING THIS.**

**Etra Notes!**

Oh, the thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis.

_**Only Our Ring Finger Knows**_

**- Chapter Three -**

"…there is a big difference between _permutation_ and _combination,_ class. You'll know it's permutation if the order is important. And you'll have to use this formula…" Umino Iruka tapped the upper portion of the blackboard where a couple of letters and marks were written. Naruto sensed his attention drifting away from the P and the ! and propped one elbow on his desk, his other hand busy scraping off dried glue beneath his table.

He cast a weary glance outside the window and noted the dark clouds looming forebodingly over the campus. Sighing softly, he removed his fingers from the stubborn glue, his nails stinging painfully already.

"…let's say boy 1 wants to sit next his crush. But his crush wants to sit next to any of his…I mean _her_ two friends. And there were four available chairs. How many possible ways are there for them to sit together?"

Naruto felt his eyes droop and his elbow slowly give way under the weight of his head. He was _never_ good at math or rather he never gave it a try to be at least _decent_ in the subject.

"Come on class, this is _very_ easy…" Iruka looked at the students expectantly, his eyes squinting for inattentive ones he could ask to work with the problem he'd given on the board.

Naruto forced his mind to clear up, not wanting to look like he was not listening. He straightened his stiffening back and forced a serious face, as if the jumbled numbers on the board were not a load of shit for him.

"...this is a _simple_ permutation..._come on_." Iruka continued with a smile that looked unconvincingly nice from the students' viewpoint.

Naruto continued on with his façade when something small and white was thrown in his direction. With a soft _thud_ it landed smoothly at the center of his desk. Looking around, he saw Kiba sitting two seats away from him on his right, a big grin plastered on his face.

"_Inuzuka_ seems to _know_ the answer to my question." Iruka brightly announced. The grin was immediately peeled off from Kiba's face replaced by a panicked expression. Naruto snickered along with the rest of the class.

"Come here and solve the problem on the board." Iruka insisted, his expression darkening. Probably sensing the ominous consequence of an irate Iruka-sensei, Kiba finally detached himself from his seat and walked languidly toward the front.

Naruto grinned to himself before picking the crumpled paper on his table. He opened it and read:

Hey, I invited some girls from Kagumi All-girls High. I already asked Lee, Chouji and Shika. You have to go too. Kiba.

Naruto frowned and looked at Kiba who started writing stuff on the board that he was so sure his friend did not understand.

Among his friends, Kiba was always the one to go on dates and pick up girls. Naruto found this bold and impressive but he had never ever done the same thing. It was not because he had no interest in dates and girls. But then, he didn't understand himself that much.

"You're doing it wrong." Iruka frowned at the series of numbers and letters that Kiba was writing on the board. Kiba stopped and looked back at him hopefully as if that was exactly what he was waiting for his teacher to say. But having known almost everyone in the class including Kiba, Iruka already knew how to handle him.

"It's alright. You just repeat everything again."

Kiba looked like he was just hit by a speeding truck. Naruto choked on his laughter and crumpled the paper in his hand before throwing it inside his bag.

* * *

Lee nervously tugged down at his polo and tie, all the while looking like he was going to puke anytime. Naruto patted his back reassuringly as they waited for the last member of the group. Kiba had asked them to wait outside of the karaoke bar where they were supposed to hang out while he collected the girls. He thought it might scare them away to appear in a pack already. 

Naruto glanced at Chouji and Shikamaru. Chouji was in the rarest of times not holding a pack of chips or any food for that matter. In fact, he looked _almost_ normal. Well, except for the bags of chips sticking out from his backpack. Naruto walked up behind him and zipped his bag close, pushing the chips further inside. Chouji mumbled a quick _thank you_ to him.

"No problem." He replied and went beside Shikamaru.

"This is troublesome." Shikamaru said jadedly to him. Naruto found himself actually agreeing with him.

"But you know _why_ he did this…" Shikamaru said pointedly and Naruto understood.

Lee and Chouji after all needed a distraction from the not-so-good status of their love lives. Ever since the painful rejection from the two most popular girls in Konoha High, the two had started to live in their own separate worlds. Naruto then thought to himself it was not a good idea to confess to a girl any time soon.

Naruto nodded quietly which earned him a surprised glance from Shikamaru.

"What?" Naruto asked, not liking the probing gaze his friend was directing at him. He always had the feeling that Shikamaru could look right through him. And it made Naruto anxious and uncomfortable.

"You're _too _quiet Naruto." He said, giving him the look as if he was a chess board. Naruto decided then he didn't like to be a chess board.

"I don't have anything to say, that's why." He said simply, looking away. He knew it was no use to hide things from Shikamaru. But knowing his friend, he would probably figure it out before him.

"The…they're he…here…" Lee suddenly stuttered, straightening up. Chouji looked sickly and several shades paler.

Naruto sighed in relief, finding a way out of Shikamaru's analyzing eyes and looked at the direction of the newcomers.

Kiba and a couple of girls were approaching them.

**1…2…3…4…4?**

Kiba smiled apologetically at them.

"Guys, the other girl was sick. There's gonna be an odd-man-out." Kiba explained.

Something clicked in Naruto's mind.

"But it's okay coz---" Kiba continued.

"I'm out." Naruto blurted out immediately, cutting off Kiba's words.

His friends stared at him. Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned at them all the while avoiding Shikamaru's eyes.

"It's okay. I'm falling behind _math_. I mean…I _need_ to catch up." Naruto reasoned out to them. He heard one of the girls mumbled, _too bad_, and felt his face heat up.

"You're sure Naruto?" Kiba asked worriedly, and added, "You don't need to leave…I mean it's not like we're going to be---"

"Che, it's fine." Naruto interrupted him again. He grinned and before anyone else could protest, he turned his back on them and waved his arm, shouting _Have fun!_ before walking hurriedly away.

Naruto walked in the direction of the dormitory, feeling less agitated.

Naruto regretted not telling Shikamaru about what's bugging him. But then he thought his friend might not understand. After all, Naruto himself didn't understand any of it.

It was a feeling of _restlessness_, as he didn't know what else to call it. Naruto had woken up in the middle of last night and the other night too feeling that way. It was so sudden and so intense it confused the hell out of him. After waking up, he found himself unable to sleep, curled up in his blankets and feeling cold.

**Do things like that happen once in a while?**

Naruto decided he didn't know the answer to that. But then, there was one person. Naruto thought of one person who could help him. He then reversed his steps.

* * *

"What brings you here Naruto?" 

Naruto stepped into the room, grinning widely at his favorite person in the world. He found it comforting on his way back to school that Iruka-sensei would definitely know what had been happening to him and why he had been feeling restless the past two nights.

Iruka was behind his desk, a pile of papers in front of him. He didn't need to see up close what he was doing for it was already evident from the crease on his forehead and the slight shaking of his fingers that he was checking the pop-up quiz he had given the last meeting. Naruto silently prayed it was not his paper he was checking and that he hadn't finished checking his paper. After all, he did not want to _ruin_ the mood.

He gulped nervously before sitting himself on a chair across his teacher. Iruka lifted his face from the paper he was checking and eyed him worriedly. Naruto then remembered he had not yet answered his question.

"I just need someone to talk with…But go on, finish what you're doing first." Naruto said and looked pointedly at the amount of papers he needed to work on.

Iruka placed the pen he was holding on his desk and gave his full attention to Naruto. Naruto smiled to himself. No matter what he was doing, Iruka-sensei would always put him _first_. Naruto felt himself ease up.

"What's the matter? You looked like you have not been sleeping well." Iruka commented after thoroughly looking at his face.

"How did you know?" Naruto asked, impressed. He pulled another chair toward him and plopped one leg on it, making himself comfortable. They could after all take a while.

"I know you well enough." Iruka said with a smile on his face. He began to clean up his desk, first gathering the pile of papers scattered on his table.

"Are those _our_ test papers?" Naruto asked, hesitantly.

A vein throbbed inside Iruka's forehead.

"You guessed it right." He said gloomily. He opened his drawer, took a large envelope and stacked the papers inside albeit with difficulty.

"I don't understand why students have difficulty in math. I mean, it's not _that_ hard."

Naruto snorted.

"Well then, tell me what makes math difficult for _you_?" Iruka challenged him pausing on his task, the papers sticking out the already bulging envelope.

Naruto contemplated telling him what was on his mind. After a short while, he decided he wanted to be honest to his teacher.

"I dunno...Probably because math makes life complicated even though it's _not_." Naruto explained uncertainly.

Iruka looked at him seriously. "But _life_ can actually be _complicated_ Naruto."

He pulled out the papers and divided them into two piles. Reaching for something inside the drawer, he took another envelope and placed one pile in it the other pile was put inside the first one.

"You might not concern yourself with things adults think about but you have your own set of problems you have to deal with. Problems that need solutions or else you'll get nowhere. Problems need effort, Naruto. You just don't stare at them the whole day."

Naruto thought of his _sleepless_ nights. How would he explain them to his teacher? It seemed like the perfect opportunity to open it up.

"Iruka-sensei, actually…" Naruto started.

There was sudden knock on the door. Naruto cursed under his breath at its _wrong_ timing.

"Come on in." Iruka called to the person outside.

The door was pulled open and Gai-sensei's face appeared.

"You finished?" Gai asked, his perfect set of teeth gleaming perfectly and painfully to those who had the opportunity of seeing them.

Naruto was again struck by the similarities between Gai-sensei and Lee. It was amazing and at the same time unnerving. He sunk lowly in his seat, feeling impatient and aggravated at the sudden turn of events.

"Yes, I'm just having a talk with Naruto, here." Iruka paused for a while and then continued.

"Gai-sensei, have you seen Kakashi-sensei around?" He asked innocently.

Naruto noticed his sensei averted his gaze after the question was out and was now picking up various stuff such as pens, highlighters and clips on his desk.

"I actually saw him walking out with Jiraiya-sensei a while ago. I heard they were going to Hanakumi Garden, whatever is that."

"WHAT?"

Iruka suddenly stood up, paling and surprising Naruto and Gai.

"What's the matter sensei?" Naruto asked his sensei worriedly.

**What on earth is Hanakumi Garden?**

"That's a whore house! I'll kill him! No, I'll kill _both_ of them when I get there. Naruto wait for me here!" Without another word, he snatched his bag and stomped out of the room fuming. Naruto blinked at the now empty spot in front of him.

**What the hell…**

"Better wait for your teacher when he comes back. See you around Naruto-kun." Gai-sensei cheerfully said before disappearing.

"_Really really nice_..." Naruto mumbled sarcastically. He glanced at his watch, read 5:35 P.M and heaved a sigh. He could study math while waiting for his teacher. After all, the exams were just a week and a half away. He took his notebook out of his bag and started reading the first page.

"Union of set A and set B yields 3, 5 and 15. Hmm." He bit the end of his pen, concentrating hard.

"Oh! That's why…" His face lit up.

"But then…what about the problem before this?" He flipped the page backwards, frowning and started rereading the problem he had previously answered. After a while, he was feeling lightheaded and found his mind drifting away from the numbers and various symbols. His elbow gave way and his head fell with a thud on his desk.

* * *

"Hey, wake up. Schoolwasover _Naruto_." A voice spoke impatiently, poking at a sleeping lump on the desk. 

Naruto jolted upright. He rubbed both eyes and saw---

"EPV?" He muttered almost incoherently, sitting straighter. He picked up the notebook that had just fell and sleepily put it back in his bag.

Neji looked like he wanted to say something rude but decided against it.

"Since you _cannot_ get it right, you can just call me Neji, okay?" Neji said, looking away.

Naruto found himself grinning fuzzily at him.

"Cool." He glanced at his watch. It read 7:55 P.M.

Naruto gaped at his watch, not believing.

"It is _8:10_ on my watch. What are you doing sleeping _here_?" Neji asked indifferently moving away toward the board to erase the remaining chalk marks on it.

Naruto took a while to orient himself before answering.

"Waiting for Iruka-sensei."

Neji glanced at him.

"You sure? I saw him leave with Kakashi-sensei a while ago."

"No kidding?"

"_No kidding_." Neji replied sarcastically. He resumed erasing the marks on the board, ignoring Naruto's curses and other angry remarks.

"I swear I'll _accidentally_ stick glue on his chair next meeting." He glared at no one in particular.

"…and I'll _accidentally_ pour gasoline and _accidentally_ drop a cigarette butt on his precious collection."

"…or I would---"

"Stop it. You'll not get away with doing those stupid pranks." Neji cut off Naruto's rants.

"I don't care." Naruto barked angrily. Neji ignored him and went to the other board to erase the chalk marks there.

Naruto told himself to calm down.

"So what are _you_ doing here?" He asked Neji when he was feeling better.

Neji placed the eraser carefully into the eraser box.

"I was about to go home after the Student Council meeting when I saw that the lights were on. And I found you sleeping here quite _comfortably_." He said and started to walk out of the room.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, feeling embarrassed.

He stood up, slung his bag on his shoulder and followed Neji out of the room. They did not talk anymore and when they reached the gates, Hinata Hyuuga was there waiting beside an expensive looking car.

"Wow, you're freaking rich Neji."

Neji looked at him in surprise.

"You didn't know?"

Before he could comment about Neji's humility or rather lack of, he felt Hinata's eyes settle on him.

"Na…naruto-kun…" She stuttered and started to fumble with her jacket.

Naruto smiled uncertainly at her. After all, it had always been like that. He never had a normal conversation with Hinata because she was always fidgeting whenever he actually attempted to talk to her.

"Hi Hinata-chan!" He greeted her politely, not wanting to scare her in any way.

Neji's eyebrow rose up questioningly at them.

"We…we're classmates Neji-san." Hinata explained and Neji nodded at her. Feeling uncomfortable at the weird interaction of the Hyuugas, he bid goodbye to them and walked to the opposite direction of where their car sped off. He walked hurriedly toward the dormitory and hugged his own body, all the while cursing a _certain_ person in his mind for _stealing_ away his precious jacket.

**Fine, I gave that jacket to him, but he didn't return it. That's fucking called stealing!**

Naruto had already reached the gates of Konoha's All Boy's Dormitory when he realized he did not have the key to his and Shikamaru's room. Taking his chances, he went up hurriedly and knocked for good ten minutes on their room. He had lost his key last Saturday after the community service and he had assumed it fell unnoticed from his pocket while he was busy playing with the kids. Resigning himself to his bad luck, he went down to the lobby to wait for them.

**Dammit!**

As if to mock him further more, his stomach made a low grumble sound. He got up and went wearily outside to the nearest 24-hour convenience store. After buying a burger and soda, he went out into the cool night air and found himself walking toward Konoha Park and settled himself on an empty bench.

When he was settled comfortably, the heavy feeling started to spread inside him once again. It was the same feeling he had the last two nights that left him sleepless and agitated. It was more intense than ever and he couldn't shake it off. He hugged his knees to his chest and munched hurriedly at his rapidly cooling burger, trying to shake the feeling off. It was somewhat a feeling of _restlessness_. But then it was feeling he really couldn't quite place.

"You actually looked pathetic right now, _dobe_."

Naruto jumped at the voice. He didn't expect anyone to hang around the park at that time. When he had taken a look at his companion, he almost fell from the bench in shock.

"Sasuke!" He choked on his words and had to finish up his soda before he could speak again.

Realizing the mistake he kept repeating in Sasuke's presence, he looked away and muttered sourly, "Sorry, I know you hate it when I call you by your first name."

Sasuke sat at the opposite edge, and looked at him.

"You can call me by my first name. It's not a big deal anyway." Sasuke said after a while, looking away.

This actually made Naruto smile.

"Cool!"

He finished munching the rest of his burger, crumpled the wrapper and threw it smoothly into the trash bin. Feeling much better now that he was full and the heavy feeling was disappearing, he cast a sideway glance at his silent companion and found Sasuke staring intently at the sky. Naruto followed his gaze and found the stars above really beautiful and fascinating to look at.

"It's not that I'm _interested_ you know…But where do you live?" Naruto suddenly asked, his gaze remained fixed on the sky.

Sasuke looked at him and snorted.

"When you asked something out of someone, it means you're _interested_ in that person _dobe_." Sasuke replied mockingly.

Naruto tore his eyes away from the beauty above and scowled at him.

"Whatever. And don't call me dobe, _bastard_." He retorted.

Naruto could feel rather than see that Sasuke's smirking at him but it did not unnerve him as much as it did the last time. He actually found it a _bit_ comforting for some reason.

"So?" He probed when Sasuke did not reply.

"I live in the same place that you do, dobe." Sasuke finally said.

"You do?" Naruto was surprised to hear that.

Sasuke grunted in reply.

"How come I don't see you until now?"

"I just transferred last month."

"Why?" Naruto blurted out without thinking. Embarrassed of his question, he quickly said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Naruto mentally scolded himself. Shikamaru even told him once he could get in trouble for his stupid and reckless mouth.

Silence stretched between and around them. Naruto felt relieved that Sasuke did not get mad nor tell him it was not his business. He hugged his knees tighter to him and looked back at the stars. He tried to remember the various constellations he had learned in elementary school but to no avail. He had never been really good at memorization.

After a while, Naruto finally grew tired looking at the stars because he couldn't remember any patterns that they resembled. He then looked at Sasuke who was comfortably seating and cleared his throat.

"Oi, Sasuke?"

He heard a soft grunt. It was a good sign. Naruto decided to continue.

"This will sound weird but I really have to get this out or I won't be getting another sleep tonight. Maybe if I tell about this to someone, it will stop." Naruto said somewhat embarrassedly. However, it was really how he felt.

When Naruto peered at him, Sasuke was looking at him although he was not quite sure. It was very dark at the park after all. The nearest light that reached them was that of the convenience store, more than 10 meters away from them.

"Go on…" Sasuke muttered and Naruto sighed in relief, glad that he could finally talk about it to someone even if that someone happened to be the biggest jerk in Konoha High.

Naruto fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"Well, have you ever woken up in the...middle of the night, feeling _strange_?" He glanced at the street when he heard people talking. A bunch of teens had just passed.

"And you cannot sleep anymore because you feel so...so restless and..._empty_." He continued softly when they were out of sight.

"And there is this _heavy_ feeling around you, I mean _inside_ you that don't want to go away…" Naruto felt the wind picked up and he was freezing.

"And it gets worse and I don't even know _why_ it happens." He finished lamely, unable to look at Sasuke, scared that he would be mocked again.

Another group of teenagers passed the park laughing carelessly. When they were out of sight once again, he heard Sasuke spoke.

"You really are an _idiot_."

Naruto glad it was dark and Sasuke didn't see him blush.

"That feeling of isolation. It was _sadness_ you are feeling, _dobe_." Sasuke continued.

Naruto's ears perked up and he felt his heart beat speed up.

"Sa..sadness?" Naruto repeated, confused.

Sasuke nodded.

"When you're lonely, you're lonely. Solitude fits men, although there are stupid ones who don't understand this."

Naruto stared at Sasuke.

"So you mean people feel lonely for no reason?" He asked slowly.

"_Everybody_ feels that way sometimes _dobe_, not only you." Sasuke looked at the sky again and continued, "Maybe life itself is lonely. Humans after all are born alone and die alone."

Looking back at Naruto, he said, "Don't be ashamed you feel that way. You're not human if don't." And with this, Sasuke stopped talking.

Naruto stared at him. For the first time in two days, he felt the unbearable feeling left his heart. It was just like Sasuke said, it was sadness and loneliness. But it was something that would go away and would come again. It was part of life.

He smiled and mumbled a quiet _thank you_ to Sasuke. Whether he heard it or not, he did not show any indication of it. Naruto's smile turned into a grin and later on into a chuckle. He heard Sasuke muttered _idiot_ but he ignored it. Feeling lightheaded, he placed his head on his lap and closed his eyes.

* * *

"_Dobe. Dobe. Dobe._" 

Naruto's initial thought was there was an earthquake, but when he opened his eyes, he realized he was just being shaken rather _rudely_ and _painfully_ by Sasuke.

"Oi, stop that bastard." He grumbled sleepily.

"Then don't sleep here. It's only five minutes before the curfew hours." Sasuke shook him more violently but hearing the word _curfew_ was enough to scare away the sleepiness out of his system.

"Yeah, right. Let's go." He ignored the numbness spreading in his left leg as he and Sasuke broke into a run toward the dormitory. They barely made it, the security guard closing the gates behind them.

They walked wearily toward building.

"Oh shit! The key!" Naruto stopped on his tracks, paling.

"I saw your friends went back to the dormitory." Sasuke said, and started to walk ahead of him.

"And you didn't wake me up?"

Sasuke shrugged off his shoulders.

"Bastard."

They entered the elevator and Naruto quickly pushed the number 5 button. Sasuke pushed the number 9 button, and when the elevator door opened at floor five, he pushed the open-door button waiting for Naruto to step out.

It was at that instant that Naruto felt another kind of sadness. It was not like the sadness that had unable him to sleep. It was…he couldn't quite place it. Looking back at Sasuke's face, all the things they talked about, the feeling of comfort and finding the answers to his questions from him stumbled into Naruto's mind.

"_Dobe_."

Sasuke's voice interrupted his thoughts and Naruto stepped out immediately, embarrassed for not paying attention.

"Oi, Sasuke, _thank you_." Naruto hurriedly said with his back on him before the door could close.

He did not see it but Naruto almost felt Sasuke nodding and smirking behind him. And it somewhat made him feel happy. When the elevator door closed, he turned around and smiled at the spot that Sasuke had just been.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for reading minna-san.** Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Just don't flame me too much, ok?

'Till the next chapter! And more sasunaru to come!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Naruto. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic is based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet,_Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri. This is _Only the Ring Finger Knows_- SasuNaru version.

**Etra Notes!**

Oh, the thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis.

_**Only Our Ring Finger Knows**_

**- Chapter Four –**

The Konoha Highschool building loomed portentously over the city with its high-class structure and remarkable façade. The halls were nothing less of breathtaking and the rooms were established to be conducive for learning and other endeavors. Students were given freedom and were viewed to be responsible persons since they were taught to be such. Because of this, various organizations were reputable all over the school and each of those was given the liberty to conduct their own activities, rule their own domain and establish their faction's name and gain respect and popularity among the students…

"Tsk.Tsk.Tsk."

Yamanaga Ino's eyebrows furrowed considerably as she stared at the paper that had just been delivered by another student. Shaking her head, she quickly folded the paper in an orderly fashion and went over to her place in front of the room. She handed the folded white paper to the person behind the large table at the center and seated herself on the chair beside it.

Silence reigned inside the room. No one dared to speak or move. Sweat covered each forehead and fingers clutched nervously around anything solid that was of reach. The person at the front unfolded the paper and silently read through it, while the rest of the group held their breaths. Finally, the presumed leader of the bunch put down the paper and faced the group.

Haruno Sakura sighed, a single nerve twitching inside her forehead.

"This is _bad_…_Really bad_…" She shook her head several times as if doing that will alter whatever had been going on.

Finally resigning to her fate as well as the fate of everyone assembled that morning, Sakura continued.

"The Student Organizations Committee has finally released their annual_evaluation_."

"And this year…" She let her shoulders drop in dismay.

"…we ranked _2_."

A collective gasp filled the room.

"…_which_ is an _utter_ _failure _on our part considering we ranked the_highest_ for the past years." She pointed out proudly. And as if she remembered something, she mumbled to herself '_what will I say to sempai' _before slumping remorsefully on her table.

Ino coughed out aloud, snapping Sakura out of her reverie. Collecting herself and her thoughts, she detached herself from the table and took a brief glance on the paper again before continuing, albeit with difficulty.

"Not only _that_. This year…this year…" She was _seriously_ finding it hard to breathe.

"…the…the_freaking_ Hyuuga Neji Enthusiast Faction has ranked _3_!" Sakura's finally voice broke with this and she looked like she was seriously in need of Oxygen. The girls screamed in terror at this and simultaneously went over to her, only to be stopped by the vice-president, Yamanaga Ino, who looked totally unaffected by Sakura's difficulty.

"Don't worry, the president is _completely_ fine." She motioned them to return to their seats as she went to her friend _and_ rival.

"It's 7:52_big-forehead._" Ino whispered to Sakura.

"You'll be _late_ in class if you continue to be like this… Or do you want _me_ to take over?" Ino smiled slyly at her, earning her a scowl and a death glare from Sakura.

"No way!" Sakura hissed at her. There was _noooo_ way she would be late for class and make herself look bad in Sasuke's eyes.

"So as I was_saying_….we should not let _this_ hinder our vision. We should take this as a _challenge_ to improve ourselves and each other." She said in a voice full of resolve. The girls nodded in admiration, except for Ino who was busy looking at her trimmed nails.

"For the meantime, I will cancel all meetings until the _final exams_ are over. In that way, we can all concentrate on our studies and improve our grades. Last year, _only_ two from our organization got into the honors section. It was a _disappointment_." She looked pointedly at Ino.

"You bitch…" Ino sizzled quietly.

Feeling some sort of a triumph, she felt some of the tension leave her system and went on to continue with her speech.

"So, that's it for today. I'll send individual letters to you about the details of the next assembly. Are there any questions or comments or anything?" Sakura asked the group as she placed the white paper with the Student Organizations Committee seal inside her drawer.

A lavender-haired girl raised her hand politely.

"Yes?" Sakura smiled sweetly at her.

"Um…Ms. President, I…I saw Mr. Uchi…Uchiha with a blonde guy last night and I thought you would like to know---"

"WHAT?!" Sakura and Ino both screamed out at the same time as the words were processed, rising from their seats, and _surprising_ everyone in the room.

Blushing slightly, Sakura sat down and cleared her throat, exchanging a worried glance with Ino, who also had resumed her seat, eyes widening.

"Wh--where was this?" She decided to ask, her voice trembling a little.

"Umm…in the park near the dormitories Ms. President…" The girl answered immediately, somewhat scared of their reactions.

Sakura's forehead crumpled in worry and anger…

**This is really getting out of hand…I have to do something about this or else…**

Dismissing any thoughts of what would happen _if_, Sakura cleared her mind for the moment and composed herself once again.

"Thank you for that report." She forced herself to smile at the girl, beads of sweat forming on her neck and face.

"Umm, but I---" The girl started to say.

"_Thank you_." Sakura cut her off, still smiling. The girl blushed deeply as she dropped herself onto the chair.

"We'll _continue_ this tomorrow, same time and place." She said a little bit forcefully.

"But I thought you said meetings are cancelled until the finals week is over?" One bold girl commented, followed by nodding heads among the other confused girls.

Sakura's green eyes were filled with contempt and anxiety, before speaking distantly.

"_I have a plan_."

The girls shared confused glances.

* * *

"Oi, what's the matter Naruto?" Shikamaru silently asked his friend in the midst of noisy clusters of students in the cafeteria. It was lunch time for the majority of the students in Konoha Highschool and as usual, the place was packed.

Naruto blinked back at him and quickly shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. Just having a bad feeling I guess…" Naruto answered, scratching the back of his head and attempting to grin.

"That's because you didn't come with us yesterday, and now you're feeling bad…That's expected." Kiba cut in, his toothy grin a little too overwhelming.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, dog-boy. No way I'm feeling bad because of_that_!" Naruto answered back, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"And Rukia-chan is just _tooooo_ cute…" He continued, eyeing Naruto sympathetically.

"Yeah, and she must stink just like Akamaru-_chan_." Naruto said, reaching for some fries and dumping them in his mouth.

"They do not!" Kiba barked and attempted to reach for him.

"Heh, can't take the truth." Naruto munched his food quickly as he ducked out of Kiba's reach.

Kiba sat down, fists clenching and stopped in thought, eyes suddenly sparkling.

Naruto snorted.

"And we're meeting_again_ today to watch a movie." Kiba said dreamily, overlooking Naruto's remarks. Lee and Chouji just nodded as they quietly munch their respective sandwiches.

Ignoring Kiba, Shikamaru leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "Bad feeling about what? Was it like yesterday?"

Naruto shook his head, going back to his seat.

"No, this time, it's nothing serious." He said, grinning.

"And yesterday?" Shikamaru prodded on with a face that looked like he was seriously fighting against his principle that anything other than gazing at the clouds would be troublesome.

"Well, _yesterday_, I got some _help_ from _someone_…" Naruto reached for his soda and swigged it down in one gulp.

"…and s_omehow,_ things are normal again." Naruto finished, beaming at his friend.

"Hmm, that's why…" Shikamaru eyed Naruto suspiciously but then decided to drop the subject. After all, a cheerful and irritating Naruto would always be welcome than a brooding, quiet one.

"So, what happened to those two?" He asked Shikamaru, looking pointedly at Chouji and Lee who were both too quiet for their own good. Kiba on the other hand continued to rant about what a blast the other day had been, commenting about the girls they went out with and then finally settling the conversation to _his_ Rukia-chan.

"…don't tell me yesterday didn't work?" Naruto continued, feeling down at the thought. If Kiba was the only one who had benefited from yesterday, then he would like to at least avenge his friends for going out of their way just to go along with Kiba's plans.

To his surprise, Shikamaru gave a little smile.

"Nah, they are just too _lovestruck_ to do anything else for the moment."

Naruto gaped at his friend. "Really? What happened?"

Shikamaru eyed him wearily.

Naruto frowned. "Fine, that would be _troublesome_."

Just then, the bell rang. Students clambered to go out, trays and utensils clanking noisily around the cafeteria. Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba and Chouji rose from their seats and waved goodbye to Lee. Students belonging to the honors section had a different schedule and sometimes even different subjects because of their advance classes.

"I bet _my_ Rukia-chan wants to see me right now…" Kiba ranted on as the four guys made their way to the building for their next class.

"Yeah, I can almost smell her…" Naruto jeered, covering his nose and looking around as though he was trying to find something foul near them.

Kiba gritted his teeth, fuming.

"You guys are troublesome…" Shikamaru complained. He already knew it was futile to stop the two of them when they were bantering like little kids.

"Just admit that you're jealous, and _maybe_ I can ask Rukia-chan to introduce a hot chick to you." Kiba snapped, a couple of his teeth digging into his lower lip.

"Yeah, like I want to---_Sakura-chan_?" Naruto stopped on his tracks when they reached the floor where their room was located.

"Naruto." Sakura greeted with a small wave, her smile looking somewhat forced. Ino, who was standing beside her, nodded at him in greeting.

Narto scratched the back of his head, smiling anxiously. After all, his last encounter with the two girls was a not good one. He remembered a lot of screaming, trashing and disapproving glances from passersby and shivered slightly in apprehension.

Ino glanced at Shikamaru and gave a small smile. The two had been classmates in their first year and had been together in a team for a group project.

Shikamaru nodded in response, eyeing the two girls skeptically. He always thought that girls bring nothing but trouble. And Sakura and Ino had the unique ability to surpass even the word _trouble_. He glanced at Chouji, who seemed to be frozen, mouth gaping. He elbowed Naruto to pass the message and fortunately, Naruto understood.

"You go ahead." Naruto said to them.

Kiba nudged him teasingly. Naruto scowled at him. Kiba always thought that he still had the hots for Sakura and he had already grown tired convincing him it was not the case anymore.

"Don't be _tooo_ late, Naruto. Kakashi-sensei gives horrible detentions when he arrives earlier." Kiba said as he and Shikamaru pulled Chouji in the direction of their room.

"So, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said when the trio disappeared through the door.

Sakura smiled embarrassedly, her fingers tucking pink strands of hair behind her ear.

"This seems really out place, but…" She glanced at Ino.

"…Ino and I thought that we _really _have to tell you about this…" Ino nodded in agreement.

Naruto felt the uneasiness spread further inside him…As soon as he spotted Sakura and Ino, last night's unexpected meeting with Sasuke immediately clicked in his mind. He already knew that people would misunderstand, especially since the _ring_ incident had not dwindled yet. But…

"What is it about?" Naruto asked uncertainly. If they would question him about it, he would tell them the truth that it was nothing of _that_ sort. That…well, it was nothing _special_. Naruto felt something tug at his chest.

"Well…" Sakura glanced again at Ino, as if asking for some assistance.

Naruto waited uncomfortably.

"It's just that…_Hinata_ confided in us..." Ino finally said.

This surprised Naruto_greatly_.

"_Hinata-chan_?" He asked, in case he heard it wrong. That it was actually Sasuke and not Hinata. But then, Sasuke wouldn't for the love of his life confide anything to anyone, least of all his stalkers err, fans.

Sakura nodded. Her eyes were full of sadness and sympathy that it confused Naruto.

"Errm, what about Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, the uneasy feeling somewhat lessening.

"Argghhh!" Sakura shrieked in frustration. Naruto gaped at her.

"Can't you tell?! She likes you _a lot_!"

Naruto stared at her in shock.

"Wha---what do yo---you mean?" He stammered, stepping back.

"She told us she likes you a lot, Naruto…._A lot._" Ino emphasized the last words.

"She even cried in front of us because you are so _cold_ to her!" Sakura said, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Wha---what?" Naruto was getting _extremely_ confused. And Sakura _almost_ crying???

"Don't worry about me Naruto…Right now, you _should_ worry about Hinata. She's_hurting_ a lot." Sakura said, sniffing.

"Now, go back to your room, Naruto. That's all we want to say." Ino finished dramatically, shoving a panic-stricken Naruto away and into the direction of his room.

Naruto stumbled backward, but immediately caught himself.

**What was that all about?**

He was so _sure_ it was about Sasuke…And all that talk about Hinata confused him as well. Hinata likes him? That was…well…And Hinata crying, that was…well…

"Aghhh! Enough!" He cried.

Dismissing horrible thoughts of Sakura and Hinata crying, Naruto immediately felt relieved when he realized that the discussion had not been about Sasuke.

Sliding the door open, Kakashi-sensei's voice instantly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Detention Naruto. After class, don't be late." His teacher right away returned to his reading.

"Pervert…" Naruto hissed quietly as he went to his seat, feeling miserable.

* * *

_After class…_

"It's not going to be that bad…" Kiba tapped Naruto's back sympathetically, attempting to hide his pleasure but to no avail.

"Are you really consoling me?" Naruto snarled at him.

Naruto hated detentions, _especially…_with Kakashi-sensei. The last time he had a detention with him was during his second year. Naruto had forgotten to turn in a paper that was due on that day and later in the afternoon, he had nine foul smelling dogs as companions for three straight hours in Kakashi's room while _he_ was tasked to record the exam scores of twelve sections.

"Sorry man, can't help it." Kiba smiled apologetically at him.

Naruto's shoulders sagged in misery. And when they reached the stairs, he was already feeling worse, like it would be the _last_ time he would be seeing them.

"Good luck." Shikamaru pat his shoulder lightly.

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." Naruto said, feeling more and more miserable by the second. Slinging his backpack on his shoulder, he started to climb the stairs, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach and Kiba's shouts of "Don't die!" one floor below.

Cursing under his breath, he proceeded to walk in the direction of Kakashi's room, feeling drained already. When he reached the door, his hands refused to move.

**Damn!**

Gathering some air, he breathed in and out a couple of times to ease his tension. Feeling a little better somehow, he reached for the handle and then stopped. Naruto leaned closer to the door and strained his ears for some noise. He then decided that if the dogs were there, he would seriously run off.

"What are you doing here d_obe?_"

Naruto's hands moved in surprise to the handle, sliding the door open and stumbling face forward on the floor.

A few second of silence and then…

"Damn it Sasuke!" He yapped, raising his head from the floor.

Sasuke stared at him. "Idiot, why did you fall?"

To Naruto's surprise, he felt his face redden.

"Whose fault do you think it was?!" He snarled. Helping himself off the floor, he rubbed his aching nose, feeling a little self-conscious. He picked his bag which he had dropped, went to one of the chairs and sat down, all the while covering his injured nose.

"Damn it…Just my luck…" He mumbled to himself, ignoring Sasuke, who had also seated himself beside him.

Just then the door opened to reveal Kakashi and…his precious book.

"Oh, you two are here already. The earlier the better…" He said cheerfully, going to his table.

It then struck Naruto and he looked disbelievingly at Sasuke.

"You're in detention _too_?"

Sasuke glared at him and then at Kakashi who looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Yes, he is, Naruto. Do you have a _problem_ with that?" Kakashi asked through his mask.

Naruto shook his head, feeling relieved. At least he would have a witness in case Kakashi decided to do something weird to him. But then, he and Sasuke might collaborate and Naruto wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Iruka-sensei. His stomach flipped horribly at the thought.

"You're punishment is going to be a cinch" Kakashi's voice resonated inside the room.

Naruto's azure eyes sparkled hopefully.

Kakshi reached for something inside his drawer and Naruto's mouth gaped open at the stack of perverted books suddenly mounted on the table.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA MAKE US DO?" Naruto yelled embarrassedly, pointing at the big pile of R-18 stuff he had not _yet_ seen in his entire life. Stealing a glance at Sasuke, he was surprised to see him looking impassive.

"I'm not going to make you read this Naruto…" Kakashi explained tiredly. Interacting with Naruto had _never_ _ever_ failed to weary him.

"…All I'm going to ask is for you two to try finding my _missing_ book." Reaching for a particular book that read VOLUME 198 on top, he continued, "My volume 199 was stolen."

Naruto removed his eyes from the girl in bikini and the two guys eyeing her keenly and looked at Kakashi, his cheeks burning.

"Stolen?"

Kakashi put the book down and sat behind the table.

"Possibly. Anyway, just try finding it until 5:30. If you do, you may go earlier and if you did not, no problem with me." He finished.

Naruto sighed in relief. It was not as bad as he thought it would be. At least, there were no reeking dogs and test papers. At least, he could just pretend that he was trying to find it and---

"What does this punishment have to do with the reason for _my_ detention?" Sasuke suddenly spoke in his usual cold, arrogant voice. Naruto gawked at him.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, his eyes boring on him. Naruto started to panic. There was no way he would let Sasuke ruin his luck and make him check test papers or write 100 pages of _I'll never be late again_, single spaced for pissing Kakashi.

"Well, Sasuke…" Kakashi started to say, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

Naruto felt beads of sweat forming on his face.

"…forget about your mistake, I'm here to teach you about humility and patience…"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke whose eyes were piercing coldly at Kakashi and looking like he was seriously about to say something nasty.

"Uh, Sa---sasuke…" Naruto stammered.

Sasuke ignored him.

"I did not enter this school to learn about humility and patience…"

**Damn it!**

"…I'm here to learn about the---mfph! _Dobe_! Mfph!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"We'll come back at 5:30, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto tugged at Sasuke's arms, one hand desperately trying to cover Sasuke's mouth.

"We'll be going!" Naruto dragged him and their bags out of the room before Sasuke could say anything else and then slammed the door behind them.

"_Dobe!_ Release me! _Now!_" Sasuke snarled.

"There!" Naruto glared at him, letting his arms go. He went to pick his bag on the floor and wearily slung it on one shoulder.

"You idiot! Why did you do that?" Sasuke yelled at him, when his mouth had recovered from the unwelcome infringement.

"'cause, this is better than his usual detentions…you should be grateful to me, ya know?" Naruto replied. He also went to pick Sasuke's bag and tossed it in his direction.

"Idiot, do I look like I'm always in detention?" Sasuke caught it and straightened up, slinging his bag around his body.

Naruto stared at him for a while and then smiled.

"Yeah, I'm quite surprised. What did you do anyway?" He asked, interested.

Naruto would never ever associate detention with the most popular person in Konoha High but then Sasuke was _truly_ in detention and somehow, it made Naruto happy.

"None of your business, _dobe_." Sasuke said simply, walking away.

"So, you're still on that." Naruto said reproachfully.

**Still being a bastard, I see…**

"So, how are we gonna do it?" Naruto asked after a while, when he realized Sasuke would not start the conversation himself. He rubbed his still aching nose and wondered if it had been broken during his fall.

Sasuke glanced at his watch before speaking.

"It's 4:20. Let's separate, _dobe_. I'll take the floors down while you take the ones up. Let's meet at 5:00 here again. Clear?"

Naruto nodded wearily.

"Just look under the desks or in the waste bins."

Naruto nodded again, this time, with his eyebrow twitching.

"Check the top of the lockers or underneath. Check the restrooms too, _dobe_."

"Hey, do I look like an idiot?" Naruto finally blurted out, fists clenching at the sides. Sasuke was seriously going through the details which were not only unnecessary but insulting as well for him.

Sasuke just stared at him with his usual haughty expression.

"You're nose is red." He said, smirking.

Naruto reddened.

"Yo--you! It's your fault!" He pointed a trembling finger at Sasuke.

"You think you're so great, huh! Well then…" Naruto stopped in thought, veins throbbing in aggravation. He instinctively pointed again at Sasuke, a sly smile suddenly playing on his lips.

"Let's have a_competition_…Sasuke."

Sasuke for a while stared at Naruto, his dark eyes unblinking and then…his lips curved into an amused smile.

"Fine…_dobe_."

* * *

Students glanced at Naruto in disapproval. He had been for the last minute, kicking helpless waste bins on the hallway and muttering curses for everyone to see and hear. He was fortunate, classes were over and the teachers had either been in there rooms checking papers or were already on their way home.

"Aghhhhhh! Damn it!" Naruto slammed the container shut in frustration. He needed to find the book _first_. After all, the winner would get to ask_anything_ from the loser.

"Damn it!" He stomped loudly down the corridor, looking around for suspicious characters or places he had not yet searched. Distracted as he was, Naruto tripped and stumbled forward.

"Watch out." Naruto found himself caught by slender arms.

Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment as he found himself being steadied.

"Neji! Thanks!" He mouthed in gratitude, grasping his bag toward him.

"You're making a racket Naruto." Neji eyed him in displeasure, letting go of his shoulders.

"Sorry, Neji, I'm in detention." He answered distractedly.

Neji stared at him like he had gone mad.

"Aren't you supposed to be punished during detention and not wander around the hallways, kicking everything you spotted?" Neji reprimanded.

Nartuo frowned at him, crossing his arms stiffly.

"Why do people like_you_ always talk like that?" He countered back, annoyance sprouting back inside him and continued, "I didn't kick_everything_. Just the ones the annoy me."

Neji's eyebrow furrowed together. "People like _me_?"

Naruto glared at him. "Yeah, all of you in honors section. You think you're all high and mighty, telling me what to do." With that, he started to walk off, ignoring Neji's startled expression. He was only a few steps away when he staggered at the sudden pain that shoot right to his left ankle

"Damn!" He bent down, and touched the aching part. Wincing slightly, he straightened up and his back bumped on Neji.

"Hey!" Naruto barked at him. Neji looked unperturbed by his anger. Without warning, he lowered his body on the floor, held Naruto's left leg in place and pulled his sock down.

"He---hey! Hey! What are you doing?" Naruto reeled backward, only to be stopped by Neji's arm on the side of his waist.

**What the…**

"Stop moving." Neji ordered, his voice full of authority. Naruto flinched when he felt Neji's fingers touch the side of his ankle.

"This side hurts?" Neji asked him gently, his fingers tracing that same area on his ankle.

Naruto did not respond, just his eyes gaping at him. When Neji raised his head to face him, Naruto felt his face heat up and he nodded quickly. Neji raised one eyebrow and then went back to his task.

"Hey, do you know what you're doing?" He asked hesitantly. Neji did not respond. Immediately, Naruto found himself relaxing despite the uncomfortable feeling of Neji's fingers massaging his ankle. Closing his eyes, he allowed the sensations to flood into him.

**Hmm, feels a little good…**

Naruto blinked his eyes open. To his discomfiture, he found Neji looking straight at him, expression unreadable. It seemed that he had already stopped his ministrations without Naruto noticing.

Naruto cleared his throat, and grinned awkwardly.

"You're good at this, huh?" He tried to laugh but realized he was not in the mood to do so. Pulling his leg away, he pulled up his sock, and faced Neji, feeling strange suddenly.

Neji, stood up and to Naruto's surprise, he had a serious expression on his face.

"What do you mean by what you said, earlier?" He asked somberly, surprising Naruto even more.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, baffled.

"About people like me…" Neji answered right away to refresh his memory.

"Ahhh, _that_." Naruto uttered and immediately felt embarrassed when he fully remembered his outburst earlier. It wasn't supposed to be directed to anyone. Neji just happened to be right next to him when he was feeling frustrated and tired.

Naruto finally shook his head, smiling uncertainly.

"Don't worry about that. I'm not angry at you."

When Neji looked unconvinced, he added, "I mean, with the finals week coming, everyone's feeling tired and worried, ya know?"

Laughing gawkily, he stopped, "Sorry about that." Naruto muttered. He tugged his backpack toward his body, slinging the straps around his arms.

"It's nothing. Well, I have to go back." Neji said after a while, looking somewhere else. Naruto was startled to realize that Neji too was feeling embarrassed…Feeling suddenly lighter, he patted Neji's shoulders cheerfully.

"Thanks, Neji." He said before walking away, albeit wary.

Walking clumsily, he glanced at his watch and almost jumped at the time. He knew Sasuke was beyond annoyed. He hurriedly walked along the corridor, ignoring the pain in his ankle that stung once in a while. Almost reaching the stairs, he almost fell down when he realized he had just passed Sasuke. Going back and grinning ineptly, he faced him.

"Oi, Sasuke, good to see you…" He started, feeling nervous.

**Did he find the book?**

Sasuke's face looking sober was the last thing he expected to see. He thought he would already be chastised rudely by the ice prince.

"Oi, what's the matter. I'm sorry I did not come back at 5. I was too busy to check the time." Naruto explained.

Sasuke glared at him. "I thought you ran off, so I looked for you."

Naruto felt something flutter inside. He dismissed it off right away and grinned, scratching the back of his head.

"Uhh, so did you _find_ the book?" He asked apprehensively.

Sasuke smirked at him. "So, you did not find it…"

Naruto scowled at him. "Well, looks like you didn't too! We're even!"

"That's right…But since I finished _first_, you lost _dobe_." Sasuke said, going down the stairs. Naruto was aghast.

"What the hell! That's not part of the deal, _cheater_!" He yelled, following Sasuke. But as soon as he made it on the first step, his ankle throbbed painfully and he lurched forward, toward Sasuke.

"_DOBE_!" Sasuke yelled at him, his ears stinging agonizingly. The two of them fell down at the foot of the stairs, knocking down a pot and a waste bin in the process.

"SORRY!" Naruto yelled back. Clambering off Sasuke, he ignored the twinge in his ankle.

"Idiot, don't yell at me!" Sasuke snarled, slapping Naruto's leg on top of his own.

"It was you who first yelled at me!" He barked back, standing up and staggering in the direction of the fallen pot and bin.

"It was you who fell on me!" Sasuke snapped at him, reaching for his bag on the floor and kicking Naruto's bag which was beside it.

"It's not like I purposely fell on you!" He shouted, straightening the pot and bin. He swore out loud when he saw the contents of the bin scattered around. He went to pick them.

"Like I'll believe you _dobe_!" Sasuke retorted hotly. Standing up, he dusted his uniform, and fixed his tie. Students from the honors section after all looked distinctively _immaculate_ from the other students. He stopped when he realized Naruto had been quiet for a while. Turning around to face him, Sasuke's eyes widened when he recognized the thing Naruto was holding and the leer that came with it.

"I won, Sasuke."

Naruto smiled cheerfully, the pain in his ankle completely forgotten.

* * *

The two were walking outside of Konoha High School as they were dismissed a little bit earlier by Kakashi.

"What are brooding for, Sasuke. I won fair and square." Naruto said triumphantly.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and repeated, "_fair and square, huh…_"

Naruto nodded his head vigorously. "That's right!"

"Looks like luck is the _only_ thing you got, well, _except_ for that tiny brain of yours." Sasuke scowled, walking ahead.

Naruto quickened his steps and fell into a step beside Sasuke.

"Don't be like that, ya know. All I'm asking is for you to treat me ice cream." He said, frowning at him in disappointment.

Sasuke glowered at him. "It shouldn't even be _counted_ since you already looked into _that_ waste bin and found _nothing_."

Naruto waved a finger at him. "Tsk..tsk…Let's not go into that again Sasuke...Just buy me an ice cream and I won't bother you again." He said simply, feeling elated again at the thought of getting free _ice_ cream from none other than the _ice_ prince…He smiled at the thought.

Sasuke inhaled sharply. "Fine, _dobe_. Keep quiet."

"Hehe.." Naruto's face broke into a huge grin.

When they reached the ice cream stand, Sasuke turned to him, "What flavor _dobe_?"

Naruto couldn't help grinning, "Vanilla _please_."

Sasuke immediately relayed it to the vendor.

"Oi, you wouldn't order for yourself?" Naruto asked, taken aback when Sasuke didn't add anything for himself.

"I _hate_ sweets_dobe_." He said curtly, reaching for his wallet in the bag.

Naruto smiled, relieved. "Well, vanilla isn't _that_ sweet."

The vendor handed the ice cream in cone to Sasuke.

Naruto faced the vendor, "Another vanilla please!"

Sasuke stared at him. "What are you doing _dobe_? This is _yours_."

Naruto shook his head. "_That_ is yours."

Sasuke glared at him. "I'm treating you, remember? Or your small brain has forgotten that already…"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Going ballistic over an ice cream…Come on, it's gonna melt soon." Naruto reached for his ice cream and handed the payment to the old man. Walking off, he seated himself on the nearest bench. To his relief, Sasuke followed shortly and sat beside him, all the while staring at his ice cream.

Naruto happily licked his ice cream, feeling himself relax. He was feeling really euphoric at the moment and the day's unhappy incidents were all dismissed out of his mind unconsciously. He sneaked a glance at Sasuke, and felt his grin go wider when he saw him licking his ice cream, although cautiously. Naruto raised his head and gazed at the strips of red and orange that mingled with the clouds, feeling the wind pick up.

**That's right, my jacket…**

He looked again at Sasuke, who to his surprise had imitated him. Sasuke was also looking at the sky, a thoughtful expression on his face and biting his ice cream from time to time. His shoulders were less stiff and he looked more relaxed to Naruto than ever. Naruto couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face.

**Oh, well…never mind.**

He quickly licked his ice cream, all the while trying to control his face from breaking again into a huge grin. It amazed Naruto how much fun he found it to be with Sasuke even though they would snarl more often than talk. But then, Sasuke was Sasuke and Naruto then decided he would like to be Sasuke's friend.

"You seem close with Hyuuga."

Naruto choked on his ice cream in surprise. Coughing and spurting, he reached for his handkerchief inside his pocket and wiped his mouth.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter." Sasuke glanced away from him, stiffening.

Naruto looked at him, perplexed.

"Are you talking about Neji or Hinata-chan? Coz there are _two_ Hyuugas, ya know?" He quickly asked to clear it out. He did not want Sasuke to think that the question affected him as much as it actually did. He remembered Neji's baffling actions earlier and Sakura saying about Hinata liking him and quickly set aside those thoughts.

"I said forget it." Sasuke replied curtly, finishing off his ice cream.

Naruto frowned, returning the handkerchief inside his pocket.

"Hinata-chan is my classmate. She's a bit weird so we don't talk a lot… " He decided to answer, ignoring Sasuke's sudden mood change.

"…and Neji…he's_weirder_ but he's nice, though we don't talk much either." He continued to say.

Sasuke glared at him, before muttering. "_Idiot_."

Naruto glared back. "What the hell!"

He decided to finish his ice cream before facing Sasuke.

"You! I'm being nice here ya know!"

To his surprise, Sasuke just stared at him, his eyes gleaming somewhat amusedly.

"What?" He asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Sasuke's lips suddenly curved into a smirk and then it turned into a small laugh. Naruto reddened.

"Why are you laughing_teme_?!" He exclaimed, thrashing his arms in exasperation.

"You have ice cream on your face _dobe_." Sasuke explained, still smirking.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Where? Where? Tell me where!" Naruto panicked.

He was usually a clumsy person particularly when eating and he usually would not care whether he had crumbs of food on his face or not. But seeing Sasuke's face while he laughed mockingly and even _amusingly_ made Naruto feel conscious for some reason. He decided then he had to get the fucking cream off his face _immediately_.

Sasuke leaned toward Naruto, surprising the latter. Naruto's eyes widened as saucers.

"H---hey, _Sa---suke_…" Naruto uttered feebly, feeling his cheeks inflame.

"Don't move." Sasuke ordered him, getting closer. He touched Naruto's shoulders and firmly held it in place.

Naruto's breath hitched.

**What is he…?**

Naruto tried to back away and was surprised to find himself _unable_ to move. He never thought Sasuke would be strong with his slender arms. He then decided _never_ to underestimate adversaries again.

Sasuke stopped and looked at Naruto's face, his black eyes gleaming somewhat differently than they usually did. Naruto's heartbeat sped up, his cheeks burning hotly.

**What am I…?**

Sasuke's fingers approached his face and settled on the corner of his lips. Naruto was frozen in place. Sasuke was too close for his own good and Naruto's too, for he was seriously finding it hard to breathe. A few seconds passed and Sasuke was gone.

**What happened?**

Naruto realized he could breathe again and so he did. Feeling ten times more embarrassed, he faced Sasuke although with difficulty, his heartbeat refusing to slow down.

"What---what did you do to me, _teme_!" He screamed in agitation, hugging his body just in case. Sasuke already had his back turned on him, his bag slung on his shoulder.

"I removed the ice cream off your face _dobe_, remember?" Sasuke replied, tilting his head to the side to face him.

Naruto was speechless.

**That…that is true…**

"Then why are you looking so damn pleased?" Naruto yelled, standing to confront him.

Sasuke smirked, "Really?"

Naruto nodded, glaring.

Sasuke stared at him for a while before speaking distantly.

"I just realized something…" He said, walking away.

Naruto froze.

"Re---realized? About what _teme_?!" He demanded vehemently.

"None of your business _dobe_."

Naruto fumed as he followed Sasuke walked in the direction of the dormitory. Naruto could _not_ make himself calm down.

**What was that all about?**

He stared at Sasuke's back as he walked with an air of grace and haughtiness. His hair, getting caught by the wind looked soft and silky.

**Was it just me…?**

Naruto shook his head. He had not been very good at thinking and he knew that.

Sasuke glanced at him, his smirk in place before turning away. Naruto felt his face heat up_again_.

**Damn! This bastard…!**

But Naruto knew somehow, things were a bit more different than they before. Though confused as he was, he was sure those feelings were not that bad...But he would die first in the paws of Kakashi's foul-smelling dogs before he'd admit that they actually felt a _little_ nice.

**Oh, damn him to hell! **

Seething, he hurriedly walked past Sasuke, snubbing Sasuke's soft laughing. Naruto refused to think it sounded nice.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for reading minna-san.** Hmm, somehow, this chapter seemed weird to me –sigh- Sorry, if it turned out that way, I kinda rushed it because I've not updated since forever! Tell me if it's bad and I'll rewrite it as soon as I can but basically with the same storyline. Just leave a review and tell me what you think.

'Till the next chapter!

The history of Naruto's ring will be revealed…well, just a part of it, hehe. Spread SasuNaru love will ya?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Naruto. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic has been based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri.

**THANK YOU MINNA-SAN FOR READING THIS FAR…**

**Etra Notes!**

Oh, the thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis and flashbacks and dreams (you decide ;p ).

_**Only Our Ring Finger Knows**_

**Chapter Five –**

_The verdant leaves danced strikingly along with every whip of the wind, the sun peaking in between the velvety billows of the sky. The antique edifice of St. Therese's Orphanage stood proudly despite its broken windows, peeled off paint and dusty exterior. Behind the mansion was a large patch where trees were plunked along with tall bushes and an enormous pool of exquisite flowers and plants. Close to the hydrangeas and a small stoned fountain, two figures stood close to each other, their shadows distinguished._

_A small boy not older than seven looked up from his opened palm to the tall man standing before him, his stunning cerulean eyes filled with candid curiosity and innocence._

"_What is this?" The boy asked, his other hand rising, slender fingers reaching and poking the metallic object gently, as if it was his first time seeing such thing up close._

_The man smiled tenderly and brought his hand to ruffle the salient blonde tresses._

"_A ring..." The man answered softly, his hand leaving the kid's head and settling at his side._

_Big eyes squinted over the metallic piece as if studying every contour, his eyebrows slowly drawing together in perplexity._

"_Hmm…a ring…" The boy said, more to himself. Flipping the ring with his index finger and watching it roll over his palm, he returned his gaze to the young man._

"_Are you going to marry me?" He asked naively, as a soft breeze traversed over them, tousling his muddled golden hair. _

_The man's eyes crinkled slightly in amusement before eliciting a supple laughter that was eventually carried away by the wind._

"_We can do that if you want…" He replied, followed by a chuckle._

_The boy's lips curved down into a pout. He remained like that for awhile with a somewhat contemplative expression on his face, thinking about something one of the sisters in the orphanage had said._

"_But I'm a boy…" He finally said, his small fist unconsciously closing around the ring._

_The man remained wordless for a moment as if in deep thought before speaking, one hand grasping the boy's tanned shoulder._

"_Well, I'm sure God wouldn't object on whoever it is you choose to marry and love…" He spoke softly, his eyes fixed on his before looking away to gaze at the vibrant sky._

_The boy reopened his palms slowly and gazed curiously at the gold ring._

"_You really think so?" He asked, his eyes sparkling beautifully as if competing with the lurid rays of the early afternoon sun._

_The man nodded, his eyes staring intently far away. _

"_Hmm…Ok, let's do that…" The child said undauntedly, pulling the man's attention from whatever it was that captured his gaze awhile ago._

_The child beamed, the three whisker-like marks on both sides of his cheeks becoming more apparent as he did. When the man nodded and gave a small smile, the boy immediately worked to fit the ring on one of his fingers but to no avail._

"_It's too big." He said thwarted, catching the loose ring as it slipped from his thumb. _

_The man smirked at him and once again ruffled his hair, making it more disorganized than before._

"_You can wear it when you get older."_

Naruto jerked awake _painfully_, instinctively removing a pen that had been jabbed into his side, perhaps all night. It seemed he had slept _again_ as he was studying last night for the upcoming exams.

"I should just get someone to tutor me…"

Naruto raised himself from the bed, yawning and stretching openly, feeling his sore arms and neck crack a bit for being mishandled so early in the morning. Removing the white covers from his body, he stood up, a bit flippantly for a while. Shaking the last traces of sleep and weariness with a couple of jumps and stretches, the tiled floor creaking under his bare feet, his face broke into a huge grin that threatened to split his face into a thousand pieces.

He glanced at his bedside clock and his eyes widened, his good mood momentarily forgotten after seeing the time. He only had ten minutes to get into class.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He cried, running to his closet in panic mode. Grabbing his uniform, he tossed them unceremoniously on the bed and went to remove his pajamas.

"Shikamaru! Oi!" Naruto called his friend.

When he heard no response, it occurred to him that Shikamaru said he had to be in school early that day to prepare for his group's presentation. Naruto panicked even more. Grabbing clean socks in his drawer, his neck tie clamped between his teeth, he hastily walked toward the shoe rack and seized his school shoes.

"Oh shit! Shit! Fuck!" Naruto continued to curse boldly as he clambered his way out of the room, down the stairs (the elevator was on the tenth floor, unmoving) and out of the building, his hair disheveled and his bag opened halfway, notebooks and papers sticking out scrappily.

Naruto had never run so fast in his entire life as he swerved past bikes and rushing people and into the gates of Konoha High School. He climbed the stairs hurriedly, one hand holding his bag to zip it close, the other making a pathetic attempt to organize his hair. Sprinting when he reached the third floor, he almost ran into a girl.

He skidded to a stop and caught his breath, sweating. The girl looked horrified at first, her brown eyes gaping. Naruto smiled hesitantly at her, scratching his head and rumpling his hair in the process.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that." He nodded apologetically and about to start running again when he heard a faint voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto-kun…" The girl garbled, her fingers fiddling with the sides of her skirt.

Naruto stopped, bewildered and stepped back to face the girl, trickles of sweat dripping from his face.

"Ahh, you know me?" He asked curiously, muscles tensing from his early _workout_. He wondered nonchalantly how the girl knew him. She was not familiar with Naruto and he doubted she was a junior like him.

The girl raised her head, but her eyes refused to make contact with him.

"Ca…can I talk to you? It won't take long, I promise…" She continued to fidget uncomfortably that Naruto actually sympathized her. Whatever it was she wanted to talk about was eating her away…Naruto glanced at his watch and heaved a sigh.

**I'm already late anyway.**

Naruto found himself smiling at the girl, albeit uncertainly.

"No problem…about what?" He made a cheerful face in order to make the girl relax. The girl looked at him briefly and averted her gaze again, biting her lower lip feebly.

"Was it…"She began, peering at him tersely.

"…was it _U…Uchiha-san_ who gave you that r…ring…?" Her eyes grazed over the ring around Naruto's right middle finger.

**Eh?**

Naruto's eyes widened and instinctively hid his left hand behind his back much to the girl's surprise. Naruto felt his cheeks reddening when she eyed him questioningly.

"_That_ guy has nothing to do with _my_ ring!" He answered, sounding defensive and even exhausted.

It had been that way ever since the whole population of Konoha High School learned about their paired rings. It had spread like wildfire and exhausted Naruto to no end, girls like her cornering him everywhere, asking him about the ring. It was stupid of him to think it was going to stop soon. Girls could be _really_ persistent.

To Naruto's alarm, the girl's eyes suddenly started to water, her nose tingeing red.

"Bu…but I saw you together yesterday…You look like a _couple_!" The girl demanded desperately, her fingers trembling. Her early calm demeanor changed drastically and she continued to quiver lightly as tears started to flow down her face.

…**couple? What the hell…**

Naruto's heart started to pound loudly against his chest, his cheeks burning to his chagrin.

"We are _not_…" He stammered.

…**That's crazy!**

"You're _wrong_…" Naruto said almost incoherently, stepping back. Without another word, he sprinted away from her and in the direction of his room, his heart unrelenting to his aversion.

**Shit! Why did I run like that?**

He only stopped when he was outside of his room, his legs were aching and his breathing was ragged. He remained like that for sometime, catching his breath and willing his heart to calm down.

"Naruto-kun?" A voice spoke softly behind Naruto, startling him.

Naruto whirled around frantically and almost sighed in relief when he saw Hinata, behind him and _not_ the girl, looking at him worriedly with her pale eyes.

"Hinata-chan…" He breathed, smiling weakly.

* * *

"Say…Sasuke-kun, what are you going to do after the exams?" Haruno Sakura, plop two hands casually on top of the desk of the raven-haired Uchiha, smiling amiably. Behind them, Sakura's friends giggled, whispering loudly to each other while the other girls looked envious.

Sasuke did not even look up from the book that he was reading for the last twenty minutes.

"It doesn't concern you…" He said frigidly, flipping a page. Sakura found her smile falter a bit but quickly recovered, her emerald eyes fluttering in a suggestive way.

"Come on Sasuke-kun…What are you planning to do after the exams?" She insisted stubbornly, her hands going at the side of her waist.

It was just then that Sasuke looked up from the page he was reading and eyed her irritably.

"I haven't thought about it." He finally said. Just then, the door slammed open and the teacher came in. She was a young woman with crimson eyes and full black hair that settled just a little past down her shoulders.

"Settle down, please…" She walked toward the front and put down the pile of white sheets on top of the table, gesturing the students to sit down.

Sakura frowned disappointedly as she detached herself from Sasuke's table and went to her seat.

When the class had settled down, the teacher took the stack of papers one again in her arms, and faced the class, smiling as though very pleased.

"Your class, as usual did great in the last exam. Sorry it took me long to check all of them. You sure had very _thorough_ answers…" She laughed heartily, walking down the front.

"_Two_ got perfect scores…and the rest received a mark not less than 90, which is _exceptionally_ good, I tell you…You guys have a good future ahead of you…" She smiled some more, and the students exchanged exultant glances.

"_Two?_" Sasuke repeated to himself, feeling annoyed.

"Uchiha…" The teacher announced brightly. She approached Sasuke's desk and handed him his test paper, beaming. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to smile back, not that he smiled often.

"Good job, Sasuke." She said, pleased. Then walking further, she stopped, her eyes scanning the class as if looking for someone.

"Where is Hyuuga…?" She looked surprised.

The door opened as if on cue and Hyuuga Neji came in, his expression inscrutable. He gave a brief refined nod to the teacher and right away went to his seat, dumping his bag at the foot of his chair. Sasuke spared him a succinct glance, scenes from yesterday playing lucidly inside his head.

"It's _extremely_ rare for you to be late Neji…" The teacher eyed him concernedly and shrugged. "But never mind." Handing Neji his test paper, she smiled, "you got a prefect score anyway…"

Sasuke felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach. He knew then, he disliked the pale-eyed boy more so than ever. Frowning, he assured himself that his dislike for the said Hyuuga had nothing to do with the loud _dobe_. And that he was _not_ affected by what he had seen yesterday in the hallway. Sasuke convinced himself vehemently, ignoring the ire he felt every time _that_ scene played in his head.

The teacher distributed the rest of the papers before going back to her table and settling down. Sasuke found his thoughts drifting away, his eyes lowering on his test paper with the _100_ scribbled in red ink on the top right part.

**This is not enough. Whatever I do…It still won't be enough.**

Sasuke gripped his pen tightly against the ashen sheet of his notebook, clenching his teeth scathingly.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata both stood outside of their room disconsolately as Iruka-sensei had refused to let them in for being late. Pouting, Naruto tossed his bag against the wall and slumped himself on the floor.

"So damn unfair…" He sputtered. Iruka-sensei was _habitually_ an understanding person. But the way he practically tossed Naruto and Hinata outside with an annoyed look on his face was _totally_ unlike him. Naruto thought there was only one explanation for that kind of _unforgivable_ behavior. He swore in the name of ramen that it had something to do with a white-haired perverted teacher.

His frustrated musings were interrupted when he suddenly remembered that Hinata was still with him and somewhat looking at him, Naruto was not sure. Relaxing his crumpled face, he gave her a tiny smile, settling his back comfortably against the wall. Naruto was not surprised anymore when Hinata reddened at the attention.

**I don't even want to know if what Sakura-chan said is true or not.**

"Are you always late?" Naruto decided to ask after a while.

Hinata's pallid eyes registered surprise before averting them away, her fingers instinctively drawing together as she stared at them as though they were fascinating. She then shook her head as a reply.

"Hmm…I thought so…" Naruto said, bringing his arms on the back of his head for support.

"So why are you late?" Naruto decided to prod on.

Hinata contemplated whether to comment about it or not. But thinking that it was actually the first time she talked with Naruto for more than 30 seconds, she found herself wanting to prolong their conversation.

"Don't tell him I told you…I know you two are getting along well…" She started to say.

**What is she saying?**

Naruto noticed Hinata had a strange look on her face as she said that.

"It's just that Ne…Neji-san took awhile to get out of his room." She said with a somewhat thoughtful expression on her face.

"It's strange…" She added as an afterthought.

Naruto's eyebrow rose, feeling his stomach flip nervously at hearing Neji's name. He had actually forgotten Neji's actions yesterday and he surely wanted to forget them completely. It made him uncomfortable for some reason.

"Ahh…" He mumbled, smiling bizarrely.

"I'm so sure it's his first time to be late in class since he started school." Hinata fought her giggles but they still escaped from her mouth despite her efforts. Naruto found himself smiling albeit forcedly.

"Heh! Honors section is sure a bunch of weird people."

Naruto met Hinata's eyes and he instinctively felt a sudden urge to run again. There was something in her eyes that told him…

"But you look so happy with Uchiha-san…" Hinata quietly said with her eyes downcast.

**Eh?**

"What are you talking about Hinata-chan!" He demanded hotly, unclasping his arms from the back of his head. Hinata backed away at his unexpected reaction, her back touching the wall.

"Dammit!" Naruto cursed under his breath…"What's with everybody!" He whispered agitatedly to himself.

Hinata averted his gaze, her cheeks a bright red.

"I…I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I didn't mean to…" Hinata's eyes were wide with fear as she stammered.

"…I saw you two together and it's just that you have this happy expression---"

"Arrghh! Forget about it Hinata-chan…I'm going!" He did not want to hear anymore. Snatching his bag lying on the floor, Naruto pulled himself up. Without another word, he stormed away from her, his balled fists imprinting themselves in Hinata's memory.

"Naruto-kun…" She mumbled sadly, her eyes following Naruto as he disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, Neji-kun…Come here for a sec."

Sasuke stopped putting his books inside his bag and looked questioningly at his teacher. Some students looked with interest but immediately went out of the room with their bags with them to prepare for their PE class.

"It will be quick…" She smiled at him.

Sasuke left his things and went toward the front table. Neji was already there looking impatient and somewhat pissed to Sasuke's opinion. Sasuke felt some sort of satisfaction and fought the urge to smirk at him.

The teacher looked at both of them with her usual pleased expression.

"I happened to have this great professor in my university who is currently working on another dissertation…I happened to brag to him about you two…"

Sasuke cringed lightly when she laughed loudly although with a trace of embarrassment.

"So if you're not doing anything this coming break…Let me know if you want to be part of his group. I'm sure you'll be learning a lot from this man..." She explained cheerfully.

Sasuke's ears perked in interest. If he performed well and got an outstanding recommendation from this man, he was sure it would help him in his choice of university. Sasuke made a mental note to talk with his teacher some other time and tell her he would be free during the break.

"So that's all about it…Off you two! I don't want to keep you longer than necessary although that would be nice…" She winked at them.

The two boys hurriedly excused themselves.

Going to his desk to get his bags and books, Sasuke was not surprised to see Sakura waiting for him outside of the room. Sighing irritably, he walked past her ignoring her squeals or '_Sasuke-kun_!' behind him.

"Wait! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura caught up with him and Sasuke had no choice but to put up with her. He grunted in response.

"What did sensei talk to you about?" She asked suspiciously.

"Why aren't you in gym class already?" Sasuke asked to change the topic. If Sakura knew what it was about, there was no doubt she would beg their teacher to let her join them. Sasuke wouldn't let that happen.

Sakura pouted. "Because I'm guarding you against her, Sasuke-kun. That teacher obviously got a crush on you!" She explained with a serious face.

Sasuke stopped to glare at her. "I don't care. I'm not interested in that sort of thing."

Sakura bit her lips, her eyes moistening.

"Then _what_ is it that you're _interested_ in Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered loud enough for him to hear. Her voice had a trace of desperation in it. But it was the question itself that caught Sasuke by surprise and he inevitably found himself searching within himself the answer to that question.

"Tell me Sasuke-kun…" Sakura continued to say, her voice pleading.

"…what is it that you _really_ want…It seems to me you already have it _all_…"

Sasuke looked at her, his midnight black eyes piercing her deeply.

"You don't understand…I already…_lost_ everything." Sasuke said quietly. And ignoring Sakura's extremely surprised expression; he walked quickly, hoping she would not follow him anymore.

* * *

Naruto tossed an empty soda can into the trash bin and missed. The can hit the side, toppled down the concrete and rolled over the hot ground before hitting the side of the bench across where he was sitting.

"Dammit!" Standing up, he walked toward the other bench and bend over to retrieve the can.

"It makes me sick…" He threw the can with so much force toward the bin that it was knocked down and a big portion of garbage went out. Naruto decided to just ignore it.

He sat down once again and crossed his arms against his chest. After getting away from Hinata, he didn't have the interest to return for his next class. He knew Iruka-sensei would be pissed when he'd found out but he really was not in the mood for classes anymore. In fact, he would have gone back to the dorms, except that…well, he didn't want to go back just yet.

"Argghh…I'm so pissed." Naruto grumbled, kicking through the air.

Last night, he actually had found himself thinking about a lot of things that were bugging him. _First_ was the upcoming final exams week. Naruto knew he was bad at math and so he resolved that problem in his mind by getting Lee to tutor him during the weekend, though he hadn't told the concerned person yet. _Two_ was the nearing vacation. He was wondering whether he should go back to his foster parents like he used to in the past years or stay in the dorms with his friends or maybe even get a job. After some time, he decided the latter and even made a draft of the letter that he was planning to send to them the next day after he had rechecked it again. And _third_ was a certain raven haired person.

Naruto felts his cheeks heat up. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he poked his head hard with fists, fighting an overwhelming sensation inside his chest that threatened to split his insides. It was making him strange and he wondered when he started to change.

"It's his fault for making me like this…" He mumbled to himself, getting up.

And even after spending a lot of time last night thinking about it, he still didn't come up with any resolution.

"Damn, thinking makes it even hotter." Grabbing his bag, he walked aimlessly in hope to find any fountain around. Making a turn toward the side where large trees grew, Naruto shortly found himself behind the Konoha High gymnasium.

He could here some noise inside though he didn't know what section was having their PE class. Walking further to find the fountain, he sighed in relief when it came in his view. There were two girls beside it and both of them looked at Naruto when he walked closer and whispered unabashedly to each other.

"I'm going to kill that bastard when I get to see him…" Naruto clenched his teeth. Because of the ring incident, girls became more elusive to him than ever. Sakura became colder and the rest of the Sasuke fan club members treated him like an eyesore. It was a tough period of his life.

When the girls left, he immediately indulged himself with as much water as he could manage. With his head getting clearer, he wondered whether it was such a good idea to skip two classes in a row.

"I should just go back to the dorms." Turning around, Naruto instinctively froze when he heard rustling of leaves and hushed voices.

"Sensei, this way…" It was a girl. Naruto heard footsteps coming closer.

"He's there just now…" A high-pitched voice said confidently.

"Thank you girls…" Naruto's eyes bulged out of their sockets. There was no mistaking that voice…

**Iruka-sensei?**

* * *

Sasuke opened his locker and placed his bag and books inside. The rest of the students were already on the court doing stretches and warm-up exercises. Neji had finished changing first because he was delayed by Sakura. She had caught up with him just before he could enter the locker room and insisted on going with him inside until he declared that he had forgiven her.

Retrieving his PE uniform and sneakers, Sasuke placed them on top of the bench. He loosened his tie, and started to unbutton his shirt. He was halfway done on his buttons when the locker room door opened with a loud bang.

"Damn! Where to hide! Where to hide!"

Sasuke heard the intruder garbled frantically to no one, since he knew he was the only one left in the locker room. Sasuke thought the voice sounded familiar. Then a blur of orange passed him.

"Dammit! I'm dead a----Sasuke!" Naruto stared in shock at him.

Sasuke's forehead crumpled. "What are you doing in here _dobe_?"

Naruto stared at him for a while, his azure eyes traveling down Sasuke's half undone shirt.

"Why are you undressed, _teme_?" Naruto commented. He looked away immediately but Sasuke already noticed that his face was flushed.

Sasuke felt his stomach tighten. Just then, there was loud banging on the other side of the door. Naruto jumped.

"Naruto!" A voice called from outside. Even from the inside, it sounded seriously crossed.

Naruto's eyes widened frantically at Sasuke. "Hide me, Sasuke!"

Sasuke averted his gaze, refusing to meet his eyes, "Why would I?"

"What the hell! It's not too much!" Naruto insisted stubbornly. He jumped toward Sasuke, immediately clasped his shoulders and roughly shook him.

"Naruto! Are you in there!" The voice yelled from the outside again. Naruto cringed.

"SASUKE!" Naruto pleaded at him, shaking him violently.

Sasuke glared at the floor, wondering why he had to run with the loud dobe every single day. It was as if the world was conspiring against him.

"Fine!" Sasuke snapped and immediately Naruto stopped and looked at him expectantly.

"Fine _dobe_! Just…Stop!" He snarled at the loud blonde. Then grasping Naruto's arm, he dragged him toward the end of the row of lockers. There was a closet there with the cleaning materials and some unused stuff inside. Opening the door, he kicked the contents to the side to make more room for Naruto.

"Stay here until I said it's safe to go out." Sasuke ordered him.

"Thanks Sasuke!" Naruto mouthed to him gratefully. Sasuke ignored the strange sensation that started to spread inside once he looked at those cerulean eyes. Closing the cupboard, he went to the door a bit tensely and opened it.

Sasuke was not surprised when he saw Iruka-sensei impatiently waiting outside, as if he was just contemplating whether to just tear down the door. Iruka backed away when Sasuke stepped out of the locker room, half undressed.

"Sensei…" He greeted formally.

"Oh…It's you Sasuke…Why---" Iruka started to say.

"The door was stuck from the inside sensei." He answered politely.

Iruka looked like he didn't believe him.

"Ah, have you see Naruto, Sasuke?" Iruka asked hesitantly, peering behind him as though to find an indication that Naruto was indeed inside.

"Naruto?" Sasuke repeated as if he was not at all familiar with the name.

"Ahh, forget it. Sorry I disturbed you." Smiling at him, Iruka cast him another apprehensive look before walking away.

Sasuke sighed in relief when Iruka disappeared around the corner. Going back inside, he closed the door behind him quietly.

"_Tell me Sasuke-kun…" Sakura was saying desperately to him_

"…_what is it that you really want…It seems to me you already have it all…"_

Sasuke walked toward the _squirming_ cupboard but did not say anything just yet.

**What is it that I really want?**

* * *

Naruto loosened his tie around his neck. He shifted his body a little to the right to avoid the thing that was poking his butt for the last minute.

"Damn…What's taking him so long?" He murmured, moving carefully inside to try to get the best position the closet could provide him. It was seriously tough.

"Oi, Sasuke…" He hissed, hoping the other guy could hear him. He pressed his ears on the door of the closet and strained to hear any noise. Nothing could reach him.

"Damn. What if he…" Naruto wiped the sweat of his face with his hand and brushed away wet strands of his hair from his eyes.

"That bastard…I'm gonna kick his ass." He struggled to keep his balance. He pressed his palms on both sides of the closet and put force onto it, trying to fill the entire space with his body.

"Shit, I'm soaked…Oi! _Teme!_" He yelled with a restrained voice. Much to his relief, the door to the cupboard opened and he found Sasuke standing in front of him, his face hidden by his bangs.

"_Teme_! You're planning to leave me inside!" Naruto demanded hotly. He tried to pull out and he realized to his irritation that he was stuck.

"Arrggghh…Oi!" He glanced at Sasuke and noticed that he hadn't moved an inch.

"What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked impatiently. He was cramped inside and it was not a very comfortable feeling. He seriously wanted to get out.

Sasuke stepped forward, closing the space between him and the cupboard. Naruto looked in time to find Sasuke leaning down at him. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sasuke?" He whispered croakily, beads of sweat trickling down his neck. Faces a few millimeters away from each other, their eyes met and Sasuke stopped.

"Just…" Sasuke whispered huskily. Naruto gulped nervously, his palms sliding down the wooden walls of the closet. All he could see now was Sasuke's face or so he thought since Sasuke was blocking the light from coming inside.

"…just shut up for a while dobe." Sasuke finished before he leaned down completely, his lips reaching for the other boy's moist ones. Naruto thought his chest was going to burst out from the touch. His arms limp on his sides, he raised them and clutched Sasuke's shoulders for support.

…**just for a while teme**

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for reading minna-san.**

'Till the next chapter!

Spread SasuNaru love will ya?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Naruto. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic has been based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri.

**THANK YOU MINNA-SAN FOR READING THIS FAR…**

**This is by far the shortest chapter of this fanfic I've ever written. Sorry, about that and also forgive me for the long wait. Not a lot happened in this chapter but you'd get to see the point-of-view of our seme. Hope you'll still enjoy reading this. I'll work hard on the next chapter.**

**Etra Notes: **The thoughts are in **bold** letters and the _italics_ are for emphasis and flashbacks and dreams (you decide ;p ).

**_Only Our Ring Fingers Know_**

**- Chapter Six -**

Hyuuga Neji swerved past an opponent wearing a blue jersey. With the ball held tightly between his hands, he bended his knees and with one swift motion, threw the ball straight into the hoop, his back arching stunningly as he delivered his shot.

Loud shrills filled the gymnasium as the girls on the side of the court threw their arms in a victorious fashion, sharing hugs and jumping crazily. The score was 12-8 in favor of the red team.

"What a bunch of freaks…" Sakura crossed her arms impatiently and eyed them as though disgusted. Their team, on the other side of the court, had grown quiet for the last minute when their opponent had started to take the lead.

"Yeah, just for a shot…It wasn't even special." Ino added mockingly, throwing a bundle of golden hair behind her neck.

Sakura jumped in surprise and with a trembling finger, pointed menacingly at Ino.

"What are _you_ doing here _Ino-pig_?!" She growled, making the girls near her edge away in surprise and fright.

Ino leered exultantly. Bringing one hand from behind, she brandished gleefully in front of Sakura's face two large blue pompons she had made last night.

Sakura looked aghast.

"I'm here to cheer Sasuke-kun _big-forehead_." Ino answered, smiling triumphantly as though she had won some sort of a competition against Sakura.

"H..how di..did you know?" Sakura sizzled. Turning around, her eyes flicking to every single girl in her class who were in the _Uchiha Sasuke Enthusiast Faction_, she glared at them ominously, making them cringe in fear.

Sakura _believed_ she had made it clear with them not to mention to Ino the culminating event of their PE class. She _indeed_ made it _very_ clear not to talk about Sasuke _playing_ basketball in PE class, especially not with Ino around. To think that there was a traitor in her subordinates…

"I have my sources _big-forehead_…Even if you hide such _important_ thing from me, I'll still find a way to know about it." Ino answered, seeing the expression on Sakura's face.

"NEJI-SAMAAAA!!!" The girls from the other team shrieked enthusiastically as soon as the ball thrown by Neji grazed the ring and went into the basket. It was another point for the red team.

"ARRRGGHHH! I'm getting _mad_!" Sakura screamed in frustration, thrashing her pompons wildly and barely avoiding hitting a girl behind her. Dismissing her ideas on how to dispatch Ino, she concentrated on the scene right before her, her eyes burning in suppressed rage.

As though voicing her thoughts, the girl behind her cried, "I wish Sasuke-kun would just hurry up and beat those pathetic losers!" The girl's frustration along with the rest of the people in their team was becoming more evident as the game progressed.

Sakura turned to look at the corner of the corridor near the end of their side of the court. Instantly, an image of Sasuke coming out with his jersey on and looking more handsome than ever flashed before her. Sakura shook her head as she gripped her custom-made pompoms tighter.

**What's taking him so long?**

Sakura returned her eyes on the court. She was having a bad feeling about something, but she couldn't quite place it. Her gaze landed on Hyuuga Neji who was suddenly got called by their teacher after making another point. She walked a little bit forward to hear what they were talking about but with the screaming from across, it was hard for her to do so.

"What? _Big-forehead_?" Ino called to her but Sakura hushed her up with her hand.

"…came…together…Uchiha…" were all Sakura heard her teacher say to Neji while the latter nodded imperceptibly, wiping off sweat on his face and neck with a towel.

Ino approached her and whispered, "Why is Sasuke-kun not here?"

Sakura ignored Ino's question as she watched Neji went back to his team's bench, ignoring his fan girls desperate attempt to capture his attention. He took his bottled water and with a dispassionate look on his face, he walked past Sakura's team, disregarding the cold, angry stares from her team and walked into the direction of the hallway where the locker room was located.

"What's wrong _big-forehead_?" Ino brought her hand to touch Sakura's shoulder, her face somewhat anxious.

Sakura jerked away from Ino's hand. "I have to go _Ino-pig_! _Don't follow_." She said to her firmly and immediately dashed after Neji, her pompons landing with a soft thud on the ground.

"What's with her?" Ino mumbled confusedly.

* * *

Sasuke felt Naruto's hands clutched his shoulder. It was at that instant that he realized what he just did. As though burned, he instantly broke the contact and pulled his face to look at Naruto's face, his heart beating wildly against his chest. 

Naruto's cerulean eyes were wide with shock. His face glistened with sweat, lips parted and moist. And as though he had just suddenly assessed the situation, he instantly brought his hand to cover his mouth, eyes widening further in horror.

"_Teme_…I'll kill you." Naruto hissed threateningly, his whole face bright red with embarrassment.

He pushed Sasuke off him but to no avail. Sasuke refused to budge from his position. For some reason, he wanted Naruto to understand him.

Sasuke's eyes widened at where his thoughts were heading.

**Understand…What the hell am I thinking? We barely know each other!**

"Why?" Naruto asked, his brilliant azure eyes shimmering despite the dark interior of the cabinet where he had been cornered.

Sasuke couldn't remove his eyes from those gleaming pools of azure, his chest throbbing painfully. It had been _less_ than a week when they started talking to each other. Sasuke knew that was too short of a time to get to know a person.

However, he had a peculiar feeling _every time_ he talked with Naruto. It was as if they had always _known_ each other. He still hadn't figured out the reason though, but Sasuke knew Naruto had already become somewhat important to him. Sasuke felt the back of his eyes start to burn and he shook some of the feeling away, scolding himself for getting strange suddenly.

Naruto gripped Sasuke's arm, bringing the latter back to his predicament and with trembling fingers spoke with indignation. "You better have a good reason for doing tha…_that_ or I'll punch you 'till you bleed bastard."

Sasuke almost smirked when the words were out, the pressure inside him lessening. Bringing his hand over to Naruto's cheek, it lingered there for a while before wiping a trickle of sweat that was about to slide down. Naruto's face looked hilariously shocked.

Sasuke's chest swelled with an unfamiliar emotion and he realized it had something to do with Naruto's face. He shivered lightly at the thought.

"O…oi! _Teme_!" Naruto persisted, shaking Sasuke's arm roughly.

After a few more seconds with only their ragged breaths could be heard in the interior of the cupboard, Sasuke whispered in Naruto's ears, "What _reason_ do you want?"

Sasuke felt Naruto shiver when his lips brushed lightly over his earlobe.

"_Teme…_Give me…ten! That's right! _Ten_ reasons and I'll let this…_this_ incident go, bastard." Naruto challenged, attempting to smirk at Sasuke but realized he was not in the mood to do so. He tried to push Sasuke again forward but failed and resigned himself on leaning against the hard wood of the cupboard.

Sasuke snorted. "Ten?"

Naruto nodded fiercely, tugging at Sasuke's arm forcefully.

"I need ten, _teme_!" Naruto clenched his teeth ardently as he shook Sasuke some more. His cheeks were still red with embarrassment, but he refused to back down. To be kissed by a _guy_, especially when that guy happened to be Konoha's heartthrob, Naruto thought Sasuke had to have his reasons. He wouldn't back down unless he heard them.

Sasuke kept his eyes focused on Naruto. "I only have _one_…"

Naruto gaped at him. It was true that he challenged Sasuke to tell him his reasons for kissing him. But he didn't expect Sasuke to _actually_ have a reason. Naruto realized he didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't even know if he wanted to hear Sasuke's reason.

Naruto released Sasuke's arm and for the first time in long while, felt the familiar feeling of his precious ring that was on his right middle finger. For once, it didn't calm him. But feeling the presence of his ring brought back the memories it had kept from the past.

"Stop messing with me." Naruto said firmly, fists clenching at his sides. To release the overwhelming feeling inside, he attempted to punch Sasuke on the face but missed as his elbow got scraped against the rough wood when he swung his arm. Wincing and cursing at the pain, he glowered at the person right in front of him, attempting to push him again off himself.

"_Teme_! Get off me!" Naruto barked.

Sasuke did not bulge from his position still. Instead, he asked in a clear, undaunted voice, "Idiot, do I look like I'm messing with you?"

Naruto's eyes widened at this, his heart beat speeding up. But before anyone of them could speak, there was banging on the door, making both of them jerk in surprise and apprehension. Sasuke made a move to close the door of the cupboard, but Naruto edged his body forward, sandwiching himself in between.

"Oi, what are you trying to do?" Naruto demanded quickly and pushed Sasuke away, trying to scale his way out of the closet. Sasuke allowed himself to be pushed away this time.

"Stay here. You don't want to be found, right?" Grabbing his shirt on the bench, Sasuke put it on him hastily.

Ignoring Naruto's muttered words and curses, he dashed past the lockers turned left and when he reached the door, pulled it open.

Hyuuga Neji and Haruno Sakura were both impatiently waiting for him outside. Sakura sighed in relief when she saw him, her smile threatening to break her face in half.

"Uchiha, the coach is looking for you." Neji was the one who spoke first, his attitude still indifferent toward Sasuke. But Sasuke noticed that he was irritated with the amount of nerves sticking out of his forehead. Sasuke ignored this as he closed the door behind him.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked joyfully and grasped his arm. "Come on Sasuke-kun, the game has just started." She then tugged Sasuke in the direction of the court, dismissing the strange feeling she immediately felt when Sasuke allowed himself to be dragged forcefully by her.

* * *

"What the hell was he thinking?!" Naruto mumbled to himself when he heard the door closed and the voices disappeared. He pulled out his handkerchief inside his pocket and started wiping the sweat off his face and neck. 

"That bastard…! Kk..ki..kkk...Doing that." He went red at the memory.

"What the hell…" He gripped the cloth inside his fist, forehead crumpling with suppressed anger and confusion. Standing up, he made his way toward the door but his hand refused to move to the handle.

"I should have just punched him right away…" Naruto said to himself, wanting to kick himself for not thinking about that as soon as Sasuke leaned down on him. But then, he had _no_ idea that Sasuke, _The Uchiha Sasuke_ would do _that_. The memory of what happened flashed mercilessly in his mind and he instantly brought his handkerchief on his mouth to wipe off traces of Sasuke on it.

"Damn him!" Naruto clutched his already aching head. Staring at the messed up cloth he was holding, he contemplated on throwing it away. But thinking that it's a waste of money to buy another one, Naruto inserted it in his pocket but his hand refused to let the fabric go.

**What is wrong with me? A guy…a guy kissed me…I should be disgusted right?**

Naruto clutched onto the handkerchief.

**Right? **

Naruto let the fabric go and let his fist connect with the wall. He welcomed the pain and tried to push away the confusion and embarrassment he was feeling. He hit the wall again, letting the sting overwhelm the unsolicited emotions.

"He's just messing with me. That's all there is to it." For some reason, the thought saddened Naruto even more.

Forcing Sasuke's expression when he leaned down on him and right after he kissed him out of his mind, he pulled the handle and stepped out of the locker room. He firmly swore to himself not to hide in locker rooms for as long as he would live.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for reading minna-san.**

Reviews will be deeply appreciated.

And wow, we'll be nearing the core of this story.

I'll have to work harder on that. So 'till the next chapter!

Spread SasuNaru love will ya?


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Naruto. I'm just borrowing them for my personal indulgence.

**You Have Been Warned!**

This fanfic has been based on the best yaoi manga (boy's love) in the planet, _Only the Ring Finger Knows_ by Satoru Kannagi and Hotaru Odagiri.

_Sorry for the delay. Thank you for reading this far..._

_And thoughts are in _**bold**_letters. Please leave a **review **to let me know what you think about this chapter _

_**Only Our Ring Fingers Know**_

**- Chapter Seven -**

Naruto walked aimlessly across the school grounds, his brows knitted together in deep contemplation. A few minutes after Sasuke left the locker room, he managed to sneak out of the gymnasium, opting to use the emergency exit for the second time that day. Students were not permitted to use that exit but since no one was actually there, Naruto managed to slip out without anyone noticing.

Naruto sighed deeply, his bag sliding off a few inches across his shoulder.

**What was he thinking?**

Naruto noticed that he had stopped on his tracks and decided to let the afternoon breeze cross his face. **I really don't understand him…**Realizing that he probably looked suspicious standing alone on the school grounds while the rest of the students were still having their afternoon classes, he immediately resumed walking, hastening his steps to avoid catching anyone's eyes.

Naruto's thoughts immediately returned to what had transpired in the locker room.

**What's gotten to him? He was like a different person.**

Naruto would never _ever_ associate the Sasuke he knew with that _other_ Sasuke. Naruto frowned at the thought. It was true that the _other _Sasuke was so unlike the _original _Sasuke. Naruto admitted he felt neither disgusted nor offended. He just felt…_confused_ and _at__loss_ of what to think. After what happened, Naruto realized that there was more to Sasuke than his haughty attitude and smirking face.

**People are really not what they seem…**

Naruto slowed down his pace, raising his head instinctively to gaze at the sky. The various strips of white and blue coalesced perfectly, creating a soothing feeling inside him. **I want to know more about Sasuke…**

Naruto's eyes widened at this realization and immediately shook his head vigorously, telling himself that his sudden interest in Sasuke was only because he wanted to know what was going on in Sasuke's head. He wanted to know why a perfect guy like Sasuke (as many girls and _guys_ would attest to) would kiss someone as ordinary and idiotic (although it was hard for him to admit that) as him.

**And also a guy…**

Shaking his head at the peculiarity that was Sasuke, he walked unhurriedly when he reached the shed that ran all the way to the school gates. Posters of different organizations were strewn across the walls while banners and confetti hung along poles and wires.

**Could it be the Sasuke likes me? As in **_**really**_** likes me? **

Naruto felt a slight shiver run up his spine.

**No freakin' way…**

His face scrunched up in deep thought, Naruto tried to connect every instance that he had been with Sasuke and if there had been at least a hint that Sasuke was indeed interested in him in_ that_ way. It was true that Sasuke gave him advice when he was feeling depressed and that he treated him ice cream. Though it was actually _him_ who forced Sasuke to buy him ice cream, the _point_ was…Sasuke _agreed_ to that. The _Sasuke_ he knew from the stories Kiba and Shikamaru told him was far from _that_ Sasuke.

**But…why would he be…interested in me?**

Raising his hands to cup his head, he grimaced at how he was finding it hard to search the answers to his questions. It was like finally reaching out for the pieces but realizing that they weren't enough yet to complete the puzzle.

**Dammit!**

Naruto caught sight of the ring on his right middle finger, the metal glimmering against his tanned skin. Now, that he was not in the presence of Sasuke's fan girls demanding him about the ring, Naruto realized that he really didn't feel bad that his ring had the same design as Sasuke's. In fact, knowing that they shared _something_ made him feel a bit happy…_special_ even.

Thwacking his head with a fist, Naruto fought to stop the strange but pleasant feeling that was spreading in him. It was tickling his insides, which he really didn't understand. Distracting him from his thoughts, Naruto stopped on his tracks when something in hideous colors caught his attention. Retracing his steps backwards, he saw written in _red_, bold letters across the overly _pink_ banner…

_**CONGRATULATIONS TO…**_

**UCHIHA SASUKE ENTHUSIAST FACTION**

_for ranking __**SECOND**__ in the Annual Organizations Assessment_

_conducted by the __**Student Organizations Committee!**_

For aspiring members, the deadline for the submission of application forms

will be on the last day of the finals week! For more information,

contact the Secretary of Internal Affairs.

Naruto stared at the dozens of pink hearts floating in the background.

**What the hell?**

Naruto snorted.

**Uchiha Sasuke Fans Club huh?**

Naruto wondered how much Sasuke's fans club knew about him.

**W---wait.**

For a moment, Naruto seriously considered the idea of disguising himself and sneaking in one of the meetings as a member of the Uchiha Sasuke Enthusiast Faction. If he could enter that club and gain information about Sasuke that would be exclusive among the members only, Naruto might find some valuable information he could use to decipher Sasuke.

**There…must be something wrong with me.**

Naruto slumped on the bench, grabbing and pulling at his hair in frustration. He was on the verge of getting insane, Naruto just knew it. The proof of that would be found in his thoughts. He sighed dejectedly, his bag lying pitifully on the ground.

**I don't need to go that far! What I need is…**

Naruto pushed his index fingers hard against the sides of his forehead, his face crumpled in concentration.

…**what I need is someone whom I can ask information about Sasuke. Someone I can trust. Someone that is around him…**

Naruto hit his head when the answer instantly came to him.

* * *

"About _Sasuke-kun_?" Lee asked him carefully as though he heard Naruto wrong.

Naruto felt himself starting to redden, fighting his escalating urge to just bolt out and escape Lee's questioning gaze.

"Aheheheh…" Scratching the back of his head, Naruto started to laugh albeit awkwardly.

Lee looked honestly confused. "Naruto-kun?"

"Aheheheh…Well…you see _thick-eyebrows_…" Naruto started, trying his best not to make eye contact with Lee and instead focused his gaze on the hideous thick black lines above his eyes.

"Well…the thing is…the thing is…" Naruto desperately searched for any excuse that would work, his mind starting to weave one lie after the other. Lee waited patiently, the sides of his lips moving slowly.

**This is not good…I can't think of a single excuse!**

Naruto wanted to hit his head against the pavement. After all the waiting he did, he did not even prepare for anything that could help him out of his predicament.

After deciding that the best person he could ask about Sasuke was _Lee_, Naruto couldn't contain his excitement. He decided he would wait for his friend until his last class was over so they could immediately talk. Since classes were still going at that time, Naruto decided to hide himself in the unused classroom on the third floor he discovered during that time he had the detention with Sasuke. When the bell rang, Naruto hurried to get out of the school. Periodically changing locations just outside of the school gates, he restlessly waited for his friend. Fortunately, Lee came out _alone_ wearing his P.E. uniform, his green duffel bag slung against one shoulder.

"Naruto-kun?" Lee asked, snapping Naruto out of his jumbled thoughts.

Naruto felt like he swallowed a big fish. Admitting he wanted to learn about Sasuke to anyone was beyond humiliating. It was a _disgrace_ of a lifetime.

Naruto flinched, his face filled with surprise and suppressed panic when he felt a hand land softly on his back. Looking up to see Lee smiling at him lightly, his sparkling set of teeth blinding him momentarily, Naruto didn't know what to do anymore. His plans forgotten, he felt somehow defeated and unsure about what wanted to know.

"About Sasuke-kun you said?" Lee released his hand from Naruto's back and walked ahead, his duffel bag bumping Naruto lightly on the side as he passed him. Naruto followed him with his eyes, hesitant to say anything yet. He remembered Shikamaru telling him before that there were times when it was best not say anything. Naruto then thought it was the best time to apply his friend's advice.

"To tell you the truth Naruto-kun…" Lee continued, pausing to look back at Naruto to see if he was listening. Satisfied to see Naruto paying attention for once at what he was saying, Lee smiled to himself, keeping his other thoughts to himself for the moment.

"…I don't know much about Sasuke-kun. In fact, in the three years we have been classmates, the number of times we talked to each other…I can very well count with my fingers." Naruto noticed Lee was smiling sadly as he was saying this and somehow he knew how he was feeling.

Before the ring incident, Naruto never ever dreamt that he would have the opportunity to talk with Sasuke because it was very obvious how _different_ their worlds were despite being in the same school. Seeing him in the corridors alone, in the library once when he was asked to retrieve books for Iruka-sensei and in the comfort room twice in his second year, he had always felt a pull, an urge to talk to him, to just utter a simple greeting to him. Because despite the slight irritation he felt towards him for being popular and all, Naruto had always thought that Sasuke looked _sad_.

Naruto glanced warmly at his ring. Sharing the same ring design with Sasuke (although he would act as though he was irritated by it) established a connection with the aloof guy, he never ever thought would be possible. Naruto tore his gaze from his ring and looked at Lee whose sad expression was now mingled with pity.

"Sasuke…He doesn't mind being alone. I have this feeling he has always been alone. That's why he never lets anyone get close to him. Not a single one. Even Sakura-san…" Lee's voice had a tinge of bitterness that Naruto thought his friend tried to hide but failed.

"Even Sakura-san who expresses her feelings for him so openly, gets rejected every time. But then somehow I can understand why he's not returning Sakura-san's feelings." Lee glanced at Naruto, his eyes damp and glittery. Naruto gulped before uttering a quite, "Why?"

"Because I believe, Sasuke-kun is thinking along this line, 'How can someone love another without understanding that person first?' and well, Sasuke-kun believes no one understands him, so he believes that Sakura-san's affection is purely on the surface only."

Lee glanced back at him, his soft smile back in place, "Although I don't know if it's the case with Sakura-san."

Naruto gazed at his ring, feeling his chest tighten at the feelings suddenly engulfing him. If he would say he understood Sasuke to some extent, was he being too full of himself. And better yet, if he would tell Sasuke that he understood him and that he was special to him, would he believe him or would he shake him off just like he did with Sakura?

Naruto's broke into a cold sweat. **Not good. Not good..**

"Naruto-kun?" Lee stopped to look at Naruto who seemed to have frozen on his place.

"What's wrong? You look pale all of a sudden. Are you not feeling well?" Lee inquired his thick brows knitted together in apprehension, searching Naruto's face for signs that he was having a fever.

Naruto shook his head mentally, wanting to kick himself for real for having weird ideas about a guy he hardly knew. He couldn't believe what he was thinking. All thoughts about Sasuke were making him strange, and he didn't like that.

"Naruto-kun?" Naruto jumped in surprise when Lee grabbed him by the shoulders, probably in attempt to shake him out of his musings. Looking around, he was surprised to see they had already arrived at the lobby of the dormitory. A couple of students he didn't recognize were sitting on the couch at the lobby, looking at the both of them strangely.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked again, concern echoing in his voice, his brows furrowed considerably, making them look thicker than would have been possible.

"Sure...Sure_thick-eyebrows_." Naruto said, blinking back at his friend. Gripping the strap of his bag real hard, he stepped back, his feet feeling heavy against the marbled floor.

"I…that's all I wanted to ask." Worried that Lee would start asking questions, he added quickly, "I gotta go, see ya _thick-eyebrows_!" and sprinted in the direction of the stairs.

Lee had a confused expression on his face as he shouted at Naruto's retreating back, "Aren't you going to use the elevator Naruto-kun?"

Naruto didn't even glance back, leaving Lee seriously baffled at his friend's sudden change of actions.

* * *

Naruto climbed the stairs two levels at a time, wanting most in the world to reach his room and bang his head against something real hard. He couldn't fathom the reason why he went through all the trouble to ask anyone about some guy and then thought of really weird ideas about this same guy. It was strange. It wasn't normal.

Reaching the fifth floor landing, he gripped the metal handle of the door to his and Shikamaru's room and hauled himself in. He almost hit his head against the foot of Shikamaru's bed but was lucky to miss it by mere millimeters when he stopped himself just in time. He maneuvered his way to his own bed and there threw himself face forward, grabbing his pillow with ocean blue casing within reach and started hitting the back of his head with all his strength.

**Dammit! Dammit!**

Naruto felt embarrassed...After all, a guy liking a guy was…Naruto kicked the other pillow he had on his bed with his right foot, not caring where it landed. He had the sudden urge to throw things, but luckily, he didn't have much in their room, nor there was anything within his reach that could satisfy his urges at the moment.

Naruto rolled on his back and sighed, his eyes closing wearily. He finally admitted it to himself…_He liked Sasuke_…Naruto stared helplessly at the white-painted ceiling, the coat peeling at random spots because of age. There was no doubt about it. _He really liked Sasuke_…

Naruto clutched his pillow tightly against his chest.

**Damn…So what do I do now?**

* * *

AN: So…I'm still alive after all sorry for the extremely long delay…_Reviews_ winks _Reviews_ grins Btw, I'm planning to rewrite the previous chapters, if you have time, please check them out as well when they are done. Spread _**Sasunaru**_ love!


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